The enzyme that causes blood clotting, what is it called?

It's good when such a nuisance, like a cut or a prick, heals quickly and without problems. We do not attach importance to how much energy, substances and systems are involved in ensuring the integrity of our body.

What is the blood coagulation system?

In medical science, the coagulating system of blood is called "homeostasis." This is a process that provides a liquid state of blood, and also prevents the loss of a large number of it. Blood for people is the source of life, because with its help all useful substances come into the cells. It not only nourishes the body, but also protects it. This fluid in the body is not so much, so every puncture or cut that violates the integrity of the vessels, could end badly. But the coagulating system comes to the aid, more precisely its enzyme, causing coagulation of blood. It is called in harmony with the particles of this liquid by platelets.

This system is unique, as it is in liquid blood throughout all blood vessels. As soon as the vessel is disturbed, various substances and mechanisms immediately enter the work that close the hole in the vessel. This system not only curtails blood, but also prevents it by means of separate substances. Normally, all processes are balanced, due to which the task of blood is fully carried out even with damaged vessels.

Anticoagulation of blood

The task of this system is to regulate the clotting of blood. After all, if this process is not regulated, it will lead to a violation of an important protective function. The anticoagulant system aims to prevent the formation of thrombi throughout all vessels, so that thrombin acts only on damaged areas. In addition, anticoagulants constantly maintain the liquid state of all blood, counteracting the tendency to viscosity and thickening of this fluid.

At the physiological level, heparin, antithrombin, proteins, inhibitors of various factors (anticoagulants of this system) inhibit the formation of fibrin, inhibit aggregation of erythrocytes, platelets and inhibit the production of thromboplastin by the body. But still, what is the name of the blood clotting enzyme , and what is its effect?

Why do we need the dissolution of blood clots in the coagulation system?

The third component of the entire scale process of the blood coagulation system is the fibrinolytic system. Its function is to dissolve the existing thrombi. This process is necessary when the main task is completed, and the surface of the vessel is restored. Hemostasis safely terminates if these three components of the blood coagulation system act balanced. Otherwise, there is a violation in this process - there may be bleeding or excessive thrombus formation. This "bias" in the work is observed in diseases of the liver, lungs, neoplasms, IHD, rheumatism and other pathologies.

How does blood clotting begin?

Clotting is a change, the transformation of liquid blood into a jelly-like clot. Thanks to this function, the body saves itself from loss of blood. If the small vessel is damaged, a blood clot forms (when the enzyme that causes coagulability starts acting), which acts as a stopper, which helps stop the bleeding.

Collapsing of blood occurs due to a special system, which is understood as inhibitors of coagulation, utilizing factors. The enzyme, which causes blood clotting, is formed constantly. Inhibitors work in a continuous mode in phases:

• 1 phase. Heparin and antiprothrombinase begin to act.
• 2 phase. Thrombin inhibitors (fibrinogen, fibrin, prethrombin I and II, hydrolytic thrombin products) enter the work.

During many diseases in the body, additional inhibitors are formed. For many, it remains a mystery which enzyme causes blood coagulability. After all, so many trace elements and substances are involved in this process. But they all perform strictly their functions, if this enzyme loses its blood-restoring abilities, even the slightest damage to the vessel will lead to fatal bleeding.

Enzyme that causes blood clotting

We figured out for what we need a convolving system, now we'll take a closer look at its physiological mechanisms. What is the name of the enzyme that causes blood clotting? The main thing in this process is thrombin from the trypsin family. In the course of chemical reactions, it acts on fibrinogen and forms it into fibrin. The enzyme that causes blood clotting, intensively regulates fibrinolysis and thrombosis, vascular tone. The formation of the enzyme occurs in inflammatory processes.

From prothrombin appears thrombin at the last stage of coagulation. Thrombin promotes the activation of V, VIII, XIII clotting factors. It has hormonal properties, manifested by contact with platelets and endothelial cells. During the connection with thrombomodulin, this enzyme ceases to fold blood.

Hemostasis phases: what role does the blood clotting enzyme play

A feature of hemostasis is the closure of the damaged vessel. The filaments of fibrin promote the formation of a thrombus, after which the blood acquires astringent properties. What is the name of the enzyme that causes blood clotting? The name is very similar to the word "thrombus" - thrombin. He is always ready to work, and when violations begin to intensively act. Hemostasis is divided into several phases:

1. The phase of prothrombinase occurrence. At this stage, tissue and blood enzymes are formed, the process of their formation proceeds at different rates. The formation of blood prothrombinase directly depends on tissue prothrombinase (tissue enzyme activates the factors of formation of the blood enzyme). In this same phase, there is an external and internal mechanism of hemocoagulation.
2. The thrombin generation phase. At this phase, we get an answer to the question of which enzyme causes blood clotting. Prothrombin is split into parts and a thrombin-activating substance is formed, which stimulates the following phases and realizes the ac- clerin.
3. Phase of the onset of fibrin. Thrombin (an enzyme that causes blood clotting) affects fibrinogen, the amino acids are cleaved.
4. This phase is special in that polymerization of fibrin and formation of a clot occurs.
5. Fibrinolysis. At this phase, the hemocoagulation is completed.

"External" coagulation

This mechanism is very difficult and step-by-step. First, the damaged areas come into contact with blood, activating the III factor of thromboplastin. After that, he converts VII (proconvertin) to VII-A (convertin). As a result of this reaction, a complex of Ca ++ + III + VIIIa, activating the X-factor, appears, and that transforms into Xa. As a result of all the processes, another complex appears that possesses all the functions of tissue prothrombinase. The presence of Va indicates the presence of thrombin activating the V-factor. It is the tissue prothrombinase that turns prothrombin into thrombin. This enzyme causes blood clotting, activating the factors V and VIII, which are needed when blood protrombinase appears.

"Internal" blood clotting

Together with the external, internal coagulation is triggered. In contact with the uneven part of the vessel, the XII factor (XII-XIIa) is activated. At the same time, a hemostatic nail is formed. The active XII factor activates XI, later XIIa + Ca ++ + XIa + III appears, which affects IX and forms a modified complex. He activates X, and then Xa + Va + Ca ++ + III appears, which is a blood prothrombinase. Here, another enzyme causes blood clotting. The division into "external" and "internal" is very conditional and is used only in scientific circles for convenience, since these processes are very closely related.

The role of clotting factors in this process

We have already said that the process of blood clotting does not do without certain substances called factors. These substances are inherently plasma proteins, which in medical science are called factors.

• Fibrin and fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is folded by the action of thrombin.
• Thrombin and prothrombin. Prothrombin is a glycoprotein, it is quite enough in the blood to convert fibrinogen into fibrin. Thrombin is an enzyme that causes coagulability of the blood, only traces of it are visible in it.
• Thromboplastin. Has a phospholipid structure, in the beginning it is inactive. He is the main participant of the initial phase.
• Calcium ionized Ca ++. He takes an active part in the mechanism of homeostasis.
• Proaccelerin and acceclerin (AC-globulin). Involved in two phases of coagulation. Many enzyme processes are accelerated.
• Proconvertin and convertin. It is a protein of the beta-globulin fraction. Activates tissue protobinase.
• Antigemophilic globulin A (AGG-A). Member of the blood prothrombinase. If there is no this protein, then hemophilia develops. Its small amount in the blood, but it is vitally important to humans.
• Antigemophilic globulin B (AGH-B, Christmas factor). Catalyst and X-factor activator.
• The Koller factor, Steward-Prawer factor. Participants of prothrombinase.
• The factor of Rosenthal, a plasma precursor of thromboplastin (PPT). Accelerates the process of occurrence of prothrombinase.
• The contact factor, Hagemann factor. They are the trigger of the clotting mechanism. Involved in the activation of other factors.
• Lucky-Lorand fibrinstabilizer. It is necessary for obtaining insoluble fibrin.

All these factors are necessary for proper curtailment, when this process occurs quickly and qualitatively, without leading the human body to excessive blood loss.

Mechanism of thrombus formation

Restoration of damaged vessels does not happen somehow, it involves a lot of substances that act in an orderly manner, performing their functions. The essence of this process is that irreversible coagulation of proteins and blood cells takes place. The thrombus is attached to the vascular wall, if a thrombus has joined the vessel, then its further detachment does not occur.

When the vessel is damaged, substances that help inhibit the coagulation processes are released from it. Thrombocytes change and collapse, resulting in the flow into the blood of procoagulants: thromboplastin and thrombin, an enzyme that causes blood clotting. Under its action, fibrinogen becomes fibrin, which has the form of a mesh and is the basis of a thrombus. This mesh for some time becomes dense. At this stage, the formation of thrombi ends, the blood is stopped.

Clotting time as an indicator of enzyme activity

The time from the moment of damage to the stop of bleeding takes from two to four minutes. The enzyme causes blood clotting for 10 minutes. This time will correspond to reality in the event that there are no violations in the main systems involved in the process. But there are diseases in which the clotting process slows down or is not possible at all. Such dangerous pathologies are hemophilia, diabetes mellitus and some others.

The involvement of the nervous system in this process

When a damage occurs, the body sends a pain signal to the brain. Pain changes processes. This kind of stimulus helps to speed up the clotting. To pain factors, fear is added, which further increases the coagulability and action of thrombin. If the pain acts for a short time, the blood clotting enzyme thrombin works so that the return to normal occurs much faster, with only the reflex mechanism involved. Prolonged pain connects the humoral mechanism and blood clotting, tissue healing occurs much more slowly.

When exposed to sympathetic nerves or after adrenaline injection, coagulability increases. While the action on the parasympathetic nerves slows down these processes. Departments work together and support each other. After stopping blood, the activity of the parasympathetic system increases, which contributes to the activity of anticoagulation.

Endocrine system to help hemostasis

All organs that are part of the endocrine system are very important in their functions. Hormones have a very strong effect on the body's systems. Accelerate the process of blood clotting such hormones as ACTH, STG, adrenaline, cortisone, testosterone, progesterone. Slowing effect on hemostasis have: thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroxine and estrogens. If there is a disruption in the functioning of hormones, there may be changes in this process and there may be serious complications that need to be discussed with a specialist.