Question

The platelet plug is associated with:
a. Clot retraction
b. Haemostasis
c. Fibrin formation
d. Homeostasis

Answer 1

The platelet plug is the aggregation of platelets that is formed during a blood vessel injury. When any injury occurs in a blood vessel, the platelets start to accumulate at the site of injury. The platelets stick to each other and form a platelet plug which prevents the blood loss through the wounded area and provides a temporary blockage.

Complete answer:
The platelet plug is also known as the haemostatic plug or platelet thrombus. The platelet plug formation takes place before the creation of fibrin mesh clot which occurs after the vasoconstriction of blood vessels to minimize the blood loss from the wound. The platelet plug formation is associated with coagulation of blood which is also called as haemostasis (specifically primary haemostasis). Haemostasis is the process of preventing bleeding which has mainly three steps.

Step 1: Vasoconstriction of the blood vessels in which the injury has occurred. Vasoconstriction occurs to avoid the movement of large cellular components of blood so that they couldn’t exit the bloodstream via clot.

Step 2: Formation of platelet plug, which temporarily closes the hole so that no major loss occurs to the body.

Step 3: Blood coagulation by formation of a fibrin clot. The fibrin is an insoluble protein which creates a highly dense mesh like structure by arranging itself in long fibrous chains. These long fibrous chains entangle with each other and also with platelets and form a spongy mass that gradually gets harder with the time.

Hence, The correct answer is option (B).

Note: The blood clots which are formed in the body can be dissolved with the help of a chemical named as heparin. Heparin is a chemical which acts as an anticoagulant and is usually administered to prevent the formation of blood clots and extensions of existing blood clots.