General Anatomy · Haematological System · Hard
Megakaryocyte
Meaning: A very large bone marrow cell that breaks into fragments to produce platelets.
In practice: The marrow biopsy showed plentiful megakaryocytes, so the low platelet count was due to peripheral destruction.
Word parts
- -cyte means a cell
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
Quick check
Two questions on related general anatomy words.
Which word means: The fold of hardened skin at the base of the fingernail or toenail.
Answer: Cuticle
Which word means: One of four tiny glands in the neck, behind the butterfly-shaped hormone gland, that regulate blood calcium levels.
Answer: Parathyroid
Words like megakaryocyte come up in the daily game
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