Platelets

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Platelets are small cell fragments in our blood.  They are tiny particles of the largest cells found in the bone marrow.

They play a role in blood coagulation, in other words, in stopping bleeding.

They Are the First Responders for Bleeding

A cut causes bleeding. Blood flows out because there is a breach in the blood network. The body sounds a 911 alarm to close the cut. This process leads to blood coagulation.

Like carpenters, platelets are the first to be called in to repair or, in this case, to seal a wound.

Platelet Shape Change

On contact with elements beneath the intima, the thin layer of a blood vessel, or any other material outside the vessel, platelets change shape, grow tentacles, and clump together.

They are the key structure of the clot (this is a white clot because it is made up of platelets only).

Activated Platelets Call for Other Platelets

Also, these platelets release substances that attract others, which in turn are activated. These same substances trigger the blood coagulation process.

A Hermetically Sealed Net Develops

Blood coagulation is a series of chemical reactions that result in the crystallization of a protein that, under normal circumstances, is readily soluble in blood. This procedure gives rise to fine fibrous chains known as fibrin.

The transformation of this protein can be compared to jelly. When gelatin is mixed with cold water, it becomes a liquid that will solidify gradually during the cooling period.

The accumulation of tiny filaments, the fibrin, around the captive platelets and red blood cells forms a hermetic mesh sealant. A clot is made up of those elements. (Red clot.)