Biology
The Coagulation Cascade and Anticoagulant Monitoring
Quick fact
A single drop of blood contains enough clotting factors to clot a whole test tube, but it usually doesn't because the cascade is turned off until needed. The intrinsic pathway was discovered because a patient with a missing factor experienced bleeding after contact with glass, leading to the 'glass contact' activation in the lab.
Why this is interesting
When you cut yourself, your blood turns from liquid to gel almost instantly. But what if a small cut led to a life-threatening clot, or a tiny scratch wouldn't stop bleeding? The balance of clotting is a delicate act, and anticoagulant drugs must be precisely monitored to keep that balance.