Platelet Function

Platelet MetabolismIn common with other cells, platelets require a constant supply of ATP for their metabolic activities.1,40 The principal energy source is glucose, which can be metabolized aerobically or anaerobically.1,40, 146 Enzymes of the glycolytic pathway are more active than those of the Krebs cycle, since far more glucose is metabolized to lactate and pyruvate than to carbon dioxide and water. However, oxidative phosphorylation yields 19 times more ATP from each mole of glucose than glycolysis does.1,40 These biochemical findings may be roughly correlated with morphologic observations of the platelet by electron microscopy. Platelet mitochondria are smaller and have fewer . . .