Clotting

The endothelium becomes damaged / dysfunctional

An inflammatory response is triggered

WBCs move from blood vessel to artery walls, accumulating chemicals in the blood, like cholesterol

A fatty deposit builds up: an atheroma

Calcium salts and fibrous tissue build up, resulting in the formation of a plaque

The fibrous tissue build-up causes loss of elasticity in the inner artery wall

The lumen of the artery narrows, meaning blood struggles to flow through.

There is dangerous positive feedback (plaques = rise in blood pressure = more plaques)

Atherosclerosis

Blood Clotting

Platelets stick to the damaged wall and each other, forming a platelet plug

Thromboplastin released from damaged tissue and calcium ions & vitamin K in plasma trigger clotting cascade

Thromboplastin catalyses the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin

Thrombin catalyses the conversion of fibrinogen (soluble) to fibrin (insoluble)

A fibrin mesh forms, trapping RBCs and forming a clot