Anatomy: Blood Clotting
Anatomy & Physiology II Summer II
Kelsie Doran
August 9, 2012
Describe Blood Clotting and When One or More Factors are Missing, What Will Happen? Examples are needed
Blood clotting also known as coagulation prevents excessive bleeding from taking place when a blood vessel is injured. Coagulation is a complex process that involves a cellular and a protein component. The blood clotting process involves blood changing from a liquid to a solid. This process involves 20 different plasma proteins which are known as the clotting factors. If these factors are deficient or missing this process will not happen normally and many things may or will go wrong in the coagulation process.
There are many participants to the complex process of coagulation, one of those being platelets which are also known as thrombocytes. These cells are small, irregularly shaped and have a life span of five to nine days. These cells circulate through the blood of mammals and are involved in hemostasis. In hemostasis, a damaged blood vessel wall is plugged by a platelet and a fibrin containing clot to stop bleeding so the damage to the blood vessel may be repaired and healing may occur. Fibrin is an insoluble protein involved in blood clotting which deposits around the wound forming a mesh like substance that strengthens the platelets plug. The platelets and the proteins in the plasma, work together to stop the bleeding by forming a clot over the injury; which the body will then dissolve after the injury is healed. The coagulation factors are proteins mostly manufactured by the liver. When a blood vessel wall is damaged, a wound occurs, and a complex set of chemical reactions occur and convert it to fibrinogen. In people with bleeding disorders, the clotting factors are missing or do not work properly. Some bleeding disorders are genetic and quite rare. Some examples of bleeding disorders are Von Willebrand disease, liver disease, antibodies produced by the immune system,
Kelsie Doran
August 9, 2012
Describe Blood Clotting and When One or More Factors are Missing, What Will Happen? Examples are needed
Blood clotting also known as coagulation prevents excessive bleeding from taking place when a blood vessel is injured. Coagulation is a complex process that involves a cellular and a protein component. The blood clotting process involves blood changing from a liquid to a solid. This process involves 20 different plasma proteins which are known as the clotting factors. If these factors are deficient or missing this process will not happen normally and many things may or will go wrong in the coagulation process.
There are many participants to the complex process of coagulation, one of those being platelets which are also known as thrombocytes. These cells are small, irregularly shaped and have a life span of five to nine days. These cells circulate through the blood of mammals and are involved in hemostasis. In hemostasis, a damaged blood vessel wall is plugged by a platelet and a fibrin containing clot to stop bleeding so the damage to the blood vessel may be repaired and healing may occur. Fibrin is an insoluble protein involved in blood clotting which deposits around the wound forming a mesh like substance that strengthens the platelets plug. The platelets and the proteins in the plasma, work together to stop the bleeding by forming a clot over the injury; which the body will then dissolve after the injury is healed. The coagulation factors are proteins mostly manufactured by the liver. When a blood vessel wall is damaged, a wound occurs, and a complex set of chemical reactions occur and convert it to fibrinogen. In people with bleeding disorders, the clotting factors are missing or do not work properly. Some bleeding disorders are genetic and quite rare. Some examples of bleeding disorders are Von Willebrand disease, liver disease, antibodies produced by the immune system,
Cited: "All About Hemophilia / Haemophilia." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 30 Dec. 0031. Web. 09 Aug. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/hemophilia/what-is-coagulation.php>. "American Society of Hematology." Blood Clots. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Aug. 2012. <http://hematology.org/Patients/Blood-Disorders/Blood-Clots/5233.aspx>. "Deep Vein Thrombosis (Blood Clot in the Leg, DVT)." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 07 Aug. 2012. <http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/deep-vein-thrombosis-blood-clot-legs>. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2012. <http://www.hemophilia.org/NHFWeb/MainPgs/MainNHF.aspx?menuid=203>.