Thrombosis

• Thrombosis

  • Atheroma's (plaque) on the inside of an artery makes the

  surface uneven.

  • As an atheroma becomes enlarged it may eventually burst through the lining of the endothelium and damage it which causes clotting factors to be released.

  • A thrombus is a blood clot that forms inside a blood vessel.

  • The formation of a clot (thrombus) is called thrombosis.
• Clotting of Blood

  • Blood clotting is a protective mechanism triggered by damage to cells.

  • The presence of damaged cells leads to the release of blood clotting factors that activate a series of reactions.

  • The enzyme prothrombin, which is always present in the blood now gets converted to its active form thrombin.
• Thrombin

  • Thrombin causes molecules of plasma protein fibrinogen to form threads of fibrin (an insoluble protein).

  • These fibrin threads form a meshwork that clots the blood, seals the wound and provides a scaffold for the formation of scar tissue.

  • The formation of a clot (thrombus) is known as thrombosis