Question

Which enzyme is responsible for blood clotting?

Answer 1

Blood Clotting:

1. Blood clotting is also called coagulation.
2. The process of coagulation starts when some tissue is injured and bleeding is started.
3. Injured tissue releases a clotting factor that stimulates extrinsic and intrinsic pathways.
4. The clotting factor released from damaged tissue also initiates the conversion of inactive zymogen prothrombin into an active enzyme known as thrombin.
5. Enzyme thrombin catalyzes the conversion of soluble plasma proteins fibrinogen into insoluble fibrous protein fibrin.
6. Fibrin makes a mesh-like structure around the platelet plug made initially and the blood cells are trapped in this mesh to form a clot.
7. After the complete repair of the damaged region, the clot is dissolved by an enzyme plasmin.
8. Thrombin plays a major role in converting fibrinogen (a glycoprotein complex) to fibrin which functions primarily to occlude blood vessels to stop bleeding.

Thrombin is a naturally occurring enzyme, which is responsible for blood clotting.