Blood clotting mechanism

Why blood clotting is very

important?

Importance of blood clotting

1. Prevent serious blood loss
2. prevent infection by microorganisms &
foreign particles
3. Maintain the blood pressure
4. Maintain circulation of blood in a close
circulatory system.

Terms
Haemophillia: inherited disease cause by
inability of blood to produce certain blood
clotting factors or activators in the
blood.Can cause death.
Clotting factors:
fibrinogen,prothrombin,thromboplastin,
calcium ion, kalium ion
Heparin : found in the plasma to prevent
blood clotting in normal condition

Clotting is initiate by:

1. Release of clotting factors from the
damage cells
2. Exposing of blood to the collagen
fibres of the damage blood vessel
wall.

The mechanism of blood clotting

1. Small damage of the vessel
When a blood vessel is damaged, the
connective tissue in the vessel wall is exposed
to blood.
Platelets stick rapidly to the collagen fibres in
the connective tissues and release chemicles
that make nearby platelet sticky.
The aggregation of platelet forms a platelet
plug.
A platlet plug can stop blood loss completely if
the damage to the vessel is small.

The mechanism of blood clotting

2. Severe / serious damage of the vessel
if the damage is severe, the plug is
reinforced by a clot of fibrin.
Fibrin is formed through a series as shown
in figure 1.0.

A blood vessel is
damaged

Blood platelet, collagen fibres,damaged

cells,clotting factors in the plasma

Release activators called

thromboplatins into the blood

Thromboplastin, together with calcium

ions & vit K,convert prothrombin
(inactive plasma protein) into thrombin
(active plasma protein).

Blood clot

Thrombin, an enzyme,causes fibrinogen

to convert to fibrin ( fibrous protein
which form a mesh to trap the blood
cells & prevent the loss of blood)

Impaired of blood clotting

mechanisms
1.
2.

3.

Deficient in calcium and Vitamin K

Haemophilia
Hereditary disease.the blood is unable to clot,due to the
deficiency in the blood proteins taking part in
coagulation.
Thrombosis
Sometimes damaged cells in blood vessels can produce
thrombokinase & start the process of clotting.
Thrombosis is the formation of clot or thrombus inside a
blood vessel & blocking the blood flow.
This blockage stops the tissues from receiving the
normal blood flow & oxygen,if not treated quickly,it can
cause damage of tissue or even death.
A clot in the coronary artery cause a heart attack
A clot formed in the brain produces a stoke and causing
paralysis of some parts of the body.

Enhancement exercise
1. Describe the process of blood clotting
2. Give 3 reasons why blood clotting is
necessary when blood vessels are
damaged following an injury.
3. What are some of the consequences if
blood clotting is impaired?