Coagulation Factors, Clotting Factors

Blood clotting factors are substances present in human blood that are responsible for blood clotting. When these factors are activated, they begin to form blood clots, which helps stop bleeding and save life.

There are two types of blood clotting factors: coagulating and clotting. Coagulating factors are responsible for the formation of fibrin, the main component of blood clots. They include factors VIII, IX and XI. These factors are activated in response to damage to blood vessels, such as injury or surgery.

Clotting factors such as factor XII are involved in the activation of coagulating factors and fibrin formation. They are also involved in the formation of blood clots and prevent further bleeding.

A deficiency of any of the coagulating or clotting factors can lead to impaired blood clotting and the development of diseases such as hemophilia and thrombocytopenia. Therefore, it is important to monitor the levels of these factors in the blood to prevent possible health problems.



Blood clotting and coagulation factors are important elements in the blood clotting process that occurs in the human body. They are specific proteins present in the blood plasma and are responsible for blood clotting when blood vessels are damaged. In this article we will look at the main blood clotting factors, their role in the coagulation process and possible diseases associated with their deficiency or excess.

Clotting factors

There are several major blood clotting factors, each of which plays a specific role in the process. Let's look at them in more detail:

  1. Fibrinogen is the main coagulation factor and the first component in the coagulation process. It is responsible for the formation of fibrin strands that bind red blood cells and platelets together to form a blood clot.
  2. Prothrombin - it activates fibrinogen and converts it into thrombin, which starts the coagulation process.
  3. Factor VII - it enhances the effect of prothrombin and accelerates the blood clotting process.
  4. Factors VIII and IX - they increase the amount of fibrinogen in the blood and enhance the effect of prothrombin.
  5. Factors X and XI - they also enhance the effect of fibrinogen and prothrombin, accelerating the blood clotting process.
  6. Factor XII - it also enhances the effects of prothrombin and fibrinogen, but only acts in the presence of blood vessel damage or platelet aggregation.
  7. Factor XIII - This binds fibrin strands together and stabilizes the clotted blood.

All of these clotting factors work together to ensure that blood clots quickly and efficiently when blood vessels are damaged. If any of these factors are missing or functioning incorrectly, it can lead to blood clotting problems or even the development of diseases such as hemophilia or thrombophilia.



Factors of coagulating and coagulating properties.

Biologically active substances circulate in the blood plasma: clotting factors and anti-clotting factors. Their presence determines hemostasis (a coagulation process that depends on many external and internal factors).

Several groups of coagulation system factors are known (according to different systems, there are from 5 to 25), the anticoagulation system includes only 3 antithrombins (II, III, X). Antithrombin effects also include the formation of a complex of anticoagulant proteins: plasma fibrinase, antifibrinolysins, prostaglandins, the latter inhibit platelet aggregation, which exhibits the antiaggregation effect of prothromdine. Let us dwell on the main factors of blood coagulation and anticoagulation systems. The earliest, step-by-step means of hemostatic protection of blood are factors of the coagulation system and, accordingly, anticoagulation. The first group forms precursors of blood formed elements (cysteine ​​carboxylase molecules contain complex and elastins), accelerates (density 8-10 g/l) glycohemoglobin and its oxidation, the formation of iron ions of hemoglobin in thrombin and angiotenin II and hemolactoferrin, the process of the appearance of fibrin at the site of hemorrhage . The next group of coagulation factors contains: platelets, fibrinogen from plasma and erythrocytes (a dense sediment on the plane of the walls of arteries and veins, rich in proteins). Fibrinogen is a plasma protein enriched with leucine, contained in a mixture with serum factors in an aqueous solution, they bind thrombin, trigger the development of a plasmatic fibrin clot in the form of a spiral, on which