Platelets plug cuts. But where do they come from? They break off a giant cell called a megakaryocyte.
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Megakaryocytes live in your bone marrow, the soft inside of some bones where blood cells are made.
They are giants compared with the cells around them. Each has a big, bumpy nucleus with many lobes.
"Mega" means giant. One megakaryocyte can make thousands of platelets!
A megakaryocyte sits right next to a blood tube in the marrow. It pushes long, thin arms into the tube.
The flowing blood pulls on the arms, and tiny pieces break off. Those pieces are platelets. They travel around your body, ready to plug a cut.
Press Make platelets on the 3D model and watch the platelets float away in the blood.