What process refers to the clotting of blood?

The process that refers specifically to the clotting of blood is coagulation. This is a complex biological event wherein the liquid component of blood, primarily plasma, transforms into a solid gel, leading to the formation of a blood clot. This is a critical response that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Coagulation involves a series of events that include the activation of platelets and the coagulation cascade, a series of protein activations that ultimately lead to the formation of fibrin, a fibrous protein that weaves through the platelet plug to stabilize the clot.

While hemostasis is often mentioned in conjunction with blood clotting, it encompasses the entire process of stopping bleeding, which includes coagulation as one of its phases. Circulation refers to the movement of blood throughout the body via the cardiovascular system, and catalysis refers to the acceleration of a chemical reaction, which does not apply to the biological process of blood clotting in this context. Thus, coagulation is the most precise term directly tied to the formation of blood clots.