hüübimisprotsessis

The term "hüübimisprotsessis" translates from Estonian to English as "coagulation process." This refers to the biological mechanism by which blood or other bodily fluids form a semi-solid mass, or clot. In the context of blood, coagulation is a critical defense mechanism that prevents excessive bleeding after an injury. It involves a complex cascade of biochemical reactions, primarily driven by a series of proteins called clotting factors.

When a blood vessel is damaged, platelets, small cell fragments circulating in the blood, adhere to the site of injury and aggregate, forming a temporary plug. Simultaneously, the coagulation cascade is activated. This cascade culminates in the conversion of a soluble protein called fibrinogen into insoluble fibrin. Fibrin strands then form a meshwork that traps blood cells and platelets, reinforcing the initial platelet plug and creating a stable clot. This process is tightly regulated to ensure that clotting occurs only where needed and is subsequently dissolved once the injury has healed. Disruptions in the coagulation process can lead to either excessive bleeding (hemorrhage) or the formation of unwanted clots within blood vessels (thrombosis).