Thrombocyte functions in the avian immune system

Thrombocytes constitute a cell subset in avian species remain an underexplored cell subset with a variety of functions. This is despite the fact that a large number of thrombocytes can be found in the blood of avian species. In this chapter, the following topics will be discussed: physical structure and surface marker expression of thrombocytes, the role of thrombocytes in innate responses and the formation of adaptive immune responses, and infection of thrombocytes with microorganisms. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.