Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are fragments of giant cells of the bone marrow called megakaryocytes. With their properties of aggregation and adhesiveness they play a direct role in blood clotting and they also liberate substances that activate other hemostatic processes. Thrombocytopenia is a clinical condition in which the platelet count of the blood is lower than normal. In this situation the person becomes susceptible to hemorrhages.