Blood clotting, also known as coagulation, is a crucial mechanism that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is damaged. Platelets, a type of blood cell, collaborate with proteins in the plasma (the liquid component of blood) to form a clot, effectively halting the bleeding at the site of injury.
The process of blood clotting are as follows:
1. Coagulation, or clotting, transforms liquid blood into a gel, creating a blood clot and promoting hemostasis.
2. The coagulation process includes platelet activation, adhesion, and aggregation, as well as the formation and maturation of fibrin.
3. Fibrin is produced by converting inactive fibrinogens in plasma through the action of the enzyme thrombin.
4. Thrombin is derived from another inactive substance known as prothrombin.
5. The enzymatic cascade process involves the activation of thrombokinase and is crucial for coagulation.