Platelet morphology and ultrastructure

Abstract

Platelets are key players in hemostasis, the process that is essential in the prevention of blood loss in response to injury of a blood vessel. When platelets encounter breaches in the vascular wall, they rapidly adhere to the site of injury and aggregate to form a platelet plug. Subsequently coagulation will be initiated resulting in a fibrin network that reinforces the plug. Failure to form an adequate plug leads to a bleeding tendency. On the other hand, excessive platelet reactivity leads to an increased risk of vascular occlusion and thrombosis. In order to better understand how platelets function, it is essential to have insight into their overall morphology and (ultra)structure. This chapter will contribute to this and present our current view of the platelet structure and physiology in health and disease and the recent techniques available to visualize this.