University Biology Report: Homeostatic Process, Blood, and Coagulation

This report examines the homeostatic process, specifically focusing on blood components and coagulation. It details the composition of blood, including plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The report explains the role of platelets in blood clotting and the process of coagulation, which is initiated through both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. The extrinsic pathway involves tissue factors, while the intrinsic pathway is activated within blood vessels. Both pathways converge to activate factor X, leading to the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin and ultimately, fibrinogen to fibrin, forming a clot. The report includes references to support the information presented.

Running head: Homeostatic 1
Homeostatic
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The process of blood components and coagulation
The entire human body is circulated with blood which is life-maintaining fluid.
Human blood is made up by several components. These are plasma (the fluid part), red blood
cells (oxygen carrier), white blood cells (body infection fighters and immune cells), and
platelets (helps in blood clotting). The main source of blood cells is from bone marrow and
regulated by a lymph node, liver and spleen during production and its functions. Platelets are
mainly used in blood clotting process by form clumps at the open of blood vessel, thus
preventing bleeding (Wang et al. 2019).
Coagulation Process
Coagulation is the process in which blood clots aiming to reduce blood loss from
broken vessels. The process is sequential, thus involving the collaboration of various blood
cells recognized as coagulation factors. Coagulation is initiated through stimulation of two
ways selected as intrinsic and extrinsic. Both pathways produce factor X; therefore, activating
coagulation which ends up forming a clot (Prior et al. 2018).
The extrinsic pathway is the first to become activated in the process, thus stimulating
the response of protein (tissue factor), located at externally of blood vessels. Interaction of
cells, blood, and tissue factors triggers factor VII, thus stimulating the rapid creation of factor
X.
The injury stimulates intrinsic pathway which occurred inside the blood vessel. The
extrinsic pathway activates the path — the cross-activation assists to amplify the process of
coagulation.
Factor X production results into the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin.
Thrombin is used as a catalyser to the transformation of fibrinogen to plasma protein which is

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soluble; this results in sticky filaments of insoluble fibrin. Fibrins traps platelets and other
blood cells forming meshwork which leads to clot reactions. See the figure below.
Reference
Prior, S.M., Mann, K.G., Freeman, K. and Butenas, S., 2018. Continuous thrombin
generation in whole blood: New applications for assessing activators and inhibitors of
coagulation. Analytical biochemistry, 551, pp.19-25.
Wang, S.C., Mao, C.P., Su, Y.P., Wu, T.C., Hung, C.F. and Xiao, J., 2019. Protein Detection
in Blood with Single-Molecule Imaging. Biophysical Journal, 116(3), p.465a.