du Plessis L, Stevens K
Department of Haematology, Institute of Pathology, University of Pretoria, PO Box 2034, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
J Comp Pathol. 2002 Aug-Oct;127(2-3):208-10. doi: 10.1053/jcpa.2002.0565.
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.
