verekoagulatsiooni

Verekoagulatsioon, also known as blood clotting, is a vital physiological process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. It involves a complex cascade of events, beginning with the formation of a platelet plug at the site of injury. Platelets are small blood cells that aggregate and adhere to the damaged vessel wall, forming a temporary barrier.

Following platelet aggregation, a series of biochemical reactions known as the coagulation cascade is initiated. This cascade involves numerous clotting factors, which are proteins present in the blood plasma. These factors are activated in a specific sequence, leading to the conversion of fibrinogen, a soluble protein, into fibrin, an insoluble fibrous protein. Fibrin forms a mesh-like network that traps blood cells and platelets, strengthening the clot and sealing the injured vessel.

The process of verekoagulatsioon is tightly regulated to ensure that clots form only when and where they are needed. Inhibitors in the blood prevent spontaneous clot formation within intact blood vessels. However, defects in this system can lead to either excessive bleeding, as seen in hemophilia, or inappropriate clot formation, which can cause thrombotic events such as deep vein thrombosis or stroke.