BLOOD CLOTTING
Blood flows throughout the body in arteries and veins supplying cells with nutrients, which allows them to function and remove waste products from metabolism. When blood vessels are damaged or begin to leak, blood is able to clot to repair the damage and restore integrity to the circulatory system. The clotting mechanism involves a cascade of numerous factors that ultimately form the clot where it is needed. Initially, when a blood vessel is injured, the lining of the vessel attracts platelets that form an initial plug in the vessel wall. These platelets then release chemicals that activate a series of clotting factors called the clotting cascade. Ultimately, fibrin is formed, the protein that crosslinks with itself to form a mesh that makes up the final blood clot.