Megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet production: a review.

During the past 10-15 years, there has been a rapid expansion in our knowledge about the hematopoietic system which maintains homeostasis of the peripheral blood platelet concentration. This interpretive review attempts to consolidate recent in vitro and in vivo observations into a unified framework. Evidence for a two-level regulatory model of megakaryocytopoiesis is presented and interactions among developmental levels are proposed.