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Updated: Sep 29, 2026

Megakaryocyte Differentiation and Platelet Formation from Human Cord Blood-derived CD34+ Cells
Published on: December 27, 2017
Blood platelets of the African elephant
1Department of Haematology, Institute of Pathology, University of Pretoria, PO Box 2034, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
Abstract:
Platelet counts of 22 elephants varied between 229 x 10(9) and 622 x 10(9)/L. Light microscopy showed the platelets to be small, while electron microscopy revealed well preserved but activated platelets with some morphological differences from other mammalian platelets. Dense bodies, alpha-granules, glycogen and mitochondria were present in most sections. Microtubules and the surface connecting canalicular system appeared to be absent, but numerous filamentous structures and Golgi bodies were observed.
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