Blood clotting time is a measure of the activity of the coagulation system and is assessed by measuring the time elapsed from blood contact with a foreign object to the formation of a tissue clot. This parameter plays an important role in various medical and scientific studies related to hematopoiesis and hemostasis (replacement of blood after bleeding).
Blood clotting time is a dynamic indicator that can change depending on a number of factors, including age, gender, heredity, presence of diseases, nature of exposure, etc. Normally, the clotting time should be about two minutes for the blood of healthy adults, however, its deviation from the norm may indicate the risk of developing hemostasis disorders or other diseases.
The main component of the body's coagulation and anticoagulation systems is the protein fibrin. When blood mixes with foreign material, it reacts in a stimulating manner, causing the formation of a fibrin network that closes the hole and stops bleeding. This formation is called a “thrombus”, and it is the time of its formation that is determined as the time of blood clotting in laboratory conditions.