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The megakaryocyte is a bone marrow cell responsible for the production of blood platelets when cytoplasm processes become fragmented. These fragments are blood platelets. Megakaryocytes account for less than 1% of bone marrow cells but can be 10 to 15 times larger than a typical red blood cell.(Compare to other cells (http://wikibooks.org/wiki/Biology_Cell_biology_Introduction_Cell_size)) The nucleus of the megakaryocyte is very large and lobulated, which, under a light microscope, can give the false impression that there are several nuclei.
Megakaryocyte function is determined by a large number of cytokines, including thrombopoietin.
The developmental stages of the megakaryocyte is:
CFU-Me (stem cell or hemocytoblast) -> megakaryoblast -> promegakaryocyte -> megakaryocyte
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