When there is trauma or an injury, blood coagulates or clots. This mechanism prevents excessive blood loss from the body. The thrombin enzyme transforms plasma-based inactive fibrinogens into fibrins. Thrombins themselves are made from prothrombin, an inactive component of plasma.
The blood-clotting process depends on prothrombin, a glycoprotein (carbohydrate-protein complex) found in blood plasma. A clotting factor called factor X, or prothrombinase, converts prothrombin into thrombin. Thrombin then converts fibrinogen into fibrin, which produces the clot when combined with platelets from the blood (also called coagulation).
A tendency for prolonged bleeding characterises a prothrombin deficit known as hypoprothrombinemia. It is commonly related to a deficiency in vitamin K, which is required for the liver cells to produce prothrombin.
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