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# Blood Clotting Process The blood clotting process involves the thrombocytes, some enzymes, minerals, and blood proteins present in the plasma. ## Steps in the Blood Clotting Process: 1. When there is a cut or an open wound, blood comes out of it immediately. The thrombocytes mixed in the flowing...

# Blood Clotting Process The blood clotting process involves the thrombocytes, some enzymes, minerals, and blood proteins present in the plasma. ## Steps in the Blood Clotting Process: 1. When there is a cut or an open wound, blood comes out of it immediately. The thrombocytes mixed in the flowing blood disintegrate upon contact with air. 2. The disintegration of the thrombocytes causes the change of the inactive blood protein thromboplastinogen into the enzyme called thromboplastin. 3. Thromboplastin and calcium ions will change the inactive chemical substance prothrombin into thrombin. 4. Thrombin catalyzes the change of the soluble protein called fibrinogen into its insoluble form called fibrin threads. 5. Fibrin threads form a network over the injured part and seal it to prevent more blood from coming out 6. After some time, a red mass of connective tissue, called clot, forms on top of the injured area. Then, the clot shrinks and a straw-colored fluid, called serum, exudes out of it. The serum is the blood plasma that lacks the blood protein fibrinogen. ## 21st Century Skills Boosters One type of lipid that is considered a culprit in the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases is cholesterol. There are two forms of cholesterol: the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is routinely measured collectively as total cholesterol. LDL is the type of cholesterol that floats and gets deposited in blood vessels, causing plaque formation. Thus, LDL is the so-called "bad cholesterol." HDL collects excess LDL in the bloodstream and brings them to the liver for degradation. Thus, HDL is the "good cholesterol." ## Quick Quiz 1. What causes thromboplastin 2. What minerals are involved in blood clotting 3. What materials form the blood clot 4. What is the role of fibrinogen 5. What is the role of prothrombin # Blood Components - Blood is the medium that carries the dissolved nutrients, hormones, excretory products, and oxygen to all parts of the body. - Blood is composed of a liquid part called plasma and cellular elements. - The blood platelets are responsible for the sealing of the cut in the blood vessels by forming blood clots. - The white blood cells are the soldiers that fight against germs and protect the body from infections. - The red blood cells are the carriers of oxygen and carbon dioxide.