The Coagulation Cascade and Its Regulation

摘要: Under normal conditions the blood circulates freely within confines of vascular system, carrying oxygen, nutrients, and hormonal information around body removing metabolic waste. If gains access to extravascular sites or if vasculature becomes pathologically challenged, processes associated with hemostasis may be activated. Employing finely regulated positive- negative-feedback loops, represents process responsible for both generating regulating plug that prevents loss following vessel injury. The components are complex heterogeneous, consisting cell-associated plasma-borne proteins, glycosaminoglycans, platelets. To ensure maintenance fluidity yet also integrity, hemostatic response must fast, specifically localized site damage. In this way, likelihood further challenges being imposed upon system minimized. event injury, circulating platelets rapidly recruited damaged region. These become activated aggregate, forming an unstable platelet (primary hemostasis) immediately limits blood. coagulation cascade is initiated simultaneously. Blood ultimately results in deposition fibrin, a molecular scaffold consolidates allows tissue repair mechanisms act. This chapter focuses on its regulation. An important protease generated during thrombin, serine numerous substrates. As physiological end points fibrin clot activation, which determined by regulation can viewed simplest form as control generation activities thrombin.