What process is defined as blood clotting?

The process defined as blood clotting is primarily referred to as coagulation. Coagulation is the sequence of events that leads to the conversion of liquid blood into a solid, or gel-like, state, which forms a stable blood clot. This process involves a series of biochemical reactions, including the activation of platelets and the formation of fibrin, which interlaces with platelets to form a durable clot over a site of injury.

While hemostasis encompasses the overall process that stops bleeding, including both vascular spasm and coagulation, coagulation specifically refers to the chemical processes that convert fibrinogen into fibrin, leading to the formation of a blood clot. Thrombosis refers to the formation of a clot within a blood vessel that can impede blood flow and is generally considered pathological. Fibrinolysis, on the other hand, is the process of breaking down a blood clot once it is no longer needed, thus ensuring that normal blood flow is restored without excessive clot formation. Hence, coagulation is the precise term for the blood clotting mechanism.