Megakaryocytes are large bone marrow cells responsible for producing platelets and serving as the cell of origin for certain myeloid malignancies.
Megakaryocytes are large hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow that undergo endomitosis (DNA replication without cell division) to become highly polyploid. Their cytoplasm fragments to release platelets (thrombocytes) into the circulation.
In oncology, megakaryocytes are important because abnormal proliferation or dysplasia of megakaryocytic lineage cells occurs in several hematologic malignancies.
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