Platelets & Blood Clotting (Edexcel IGCSE Biology)
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Platelets
Platelets are fragments of cells that are involved in blood clotting and forming scabs
When the skin is broken (i.e. there is a wound) platelets arrive to stop the bleeding
A series of reactions occur within the blood plasma:
Platelets release chemicals that cause soluble fibrinogen proteins to convert into insoluble fibrin
This forms an insoluble mesh across the wound
Red blood cells become trapped, forming a clot
The clot eventually dries and develops into a scab
This process helps to prevent excessive blood loss and protect the wound from bacteria entering until new skin has formed
How the blood clots
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