Definition
noun, plural: coagulations
(haematology) The process of clot formation
(surgery) The disruption of tissue by physical means in order to form an amorphous residuum (as in electrocoagulation, photocoagulation)
(chemistry) The solidification of a sol into a gelatinous mass
Supplement
In haematology, the term coagulation refers to clotting or the process of clot formation. A blood clot is a thrombus that forms inside of a blood vessel. It forms when blood changes its form from liquid to a gel. It occurs to prevent blood loss from a damaged or injured blood vessel. This is one of the initial steps in tissue injury repair and wound healing. The process of blood coagulation involves activation, adhesion, and aggregation of platelets followed by the deposition of fibrin. In humans, the coagulation mechanism is comprised of two processes, i.e. the primary hemostasis and the secondary hemostasis. The latter entails two pathways: (1) intrinsic pathway (contact activation pathway) and (2) extrinsic pathway (tissue factor pathway). Both pathways lead to the formation of fibrin. In pathology, blood clot formation can be life-threatening. Clot that forms at the injured site may detach from the vessel wall and travel via the bloodstream. It may cause stroke when it reaches the brain or heart attack when it deposits in the heart.
In other fields such as surgery, coagulation refers to the disruption of tissue by physical means in order to form an amorphous residuum (as in electrocoagulation, photocoagulation). In chemistry, the term pertains to the precipitation of suspended particles as they increase in size.
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