Question

Which hormone is responsible for blood clotting?

Answer 1

When an injury is caused, the wound does not continue to bleed for a long time. Usually, the blood stops flowing after sometimes by a natural device called blood clotting or blood coagulation. This is the mechanism to prevent excessive loss of blood from the body.

Complete answer:
Blood can coagulate due to the presence of active anticoagulants, heparin and antithrombins. Procoagulants also are in an inactive state in the blood. The injured area invites the formation of a clot when a blood vessel is ruptured. Proagaulants become active, overcome anticoagulants and cause blood coagulation.

The thrombocytes are the blood platelets that are flat and non-nucleated fragments of the cells rather than the true cells. The formation of thrombocytes is called thrombopoiesis. The blood platelets have a normal life span of about a week. Platelets can release a variety of substances called platelet factors most of which are involved in blood clotting.

Thrombopoietin is a hormone that is produced in the liver and kidneys that helps in blood clotting. A reduction in the number of platelets can lead to clotting disorders which lead to excessive loss of blood from the body.

Note: Vitamin K is necessary for the synthesis of prothrombin in the liver. Blood clotting becomes inefficient, when vitamin K is not sufficient in the body, Cascade Theory of Blood Clotting was put forth by Macfarlane. According to this 13 factors are responsible or important for blood clotting. The factors operate in a cascade manner in which the activated form of a factor catalyzes the activation of the next factor.