Objective. Polyploidy, the state of having greater than the diploid content of DNA, has been
recognized in a variety cells. Among these cell types, the megakaryocytes are classified as
obligate polyploid cells, developing a polyploid DNA content regularly during the normal life
cycle of the organism, while other cells may become polyploid only in response to certain
stimuli. The objective of this review is to briefly describe the different cell cycle alterations
that may lead to high ploidy, while focusing on the megakaryocyte and the importance of …