Dictionary

Coagulation or clotting stops bleeding. Coagulation is a complex process involving several steps. If a blood vessel is damaged, thrombocytes (platelets) line the wall of the blood vessel. The platelets clump together. This process is called aggregation. Clotting factors, which are particular proteins formed in the liver, also travel to the wounded blood vessel. A complex chain reaction including these factors gathers more platelets and repairs the wound. The walls of the wound close together and connective tissue cells help build new tissue.