Platelets

Pieces of a giant cell

Platelets are not quite whole cells. They're tiny pieces that break off a giant cell in your bone marrow.

• They have no nucleus.
• They're much smaller than red blood cells.
• Each one only lasts about a week, so your body keeps making new ones.

How platelets stop bleeding

When a blood tube gets cut, platelets get to work:

• 1. They get sticky and grab onto the edges of the cut.
• 2. They stick to each other and make a plug.
• 3. They call in helpers that make sticky threads, which turn the plug into a clot. On your skin, it dries into a scab.

Keeping your blood healthy

Your body makes billions of new platelets every day. Eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep help your bone marrow keep up.

Platelet quiz