Coagulation Pathway
The coagulation pathway is a cascade of events that leads to hemostasis. The intricate pathway allows for rapid healing and prevention of spontaneous bleeding. Two paths, intrinsic and extrinsic, originate separately but converge at a specific point, leading to fibrin activation. The purpose is to ultimately stabilize the platelet plug with a fibrin mesh.
Function
The function of the coagulation pathway is to keep hemostasis, which is the blockage of a bleeding or hemorrhage. Primary hemostasis is an aggregation of platelets forming a plug at the damaged site of exposed endothelial cells. Secondary hemostasis includes the two main coagulation pathways, intrinsic and extrinsic, that meet up at a point to form the common pathway. The common pathway ultimately activates fibrinogen into fibrin. These fibrin subunits have an affinity for each other and combine into fibrin strands that bind the platelets together, stabilizing the platelet plug.
Mechanism
The mechanism by which coagulation allows for hemostasis is an intricate process that is done through a series of clotting factors. These are given below.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482253/
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