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fuckyeahmolecularbiology:

Cardiovascular Clots

In the heart’s case, different most certainly can be deadly. In the series of images above, a thrombus (blood clot) protruding from an arterial entrance in a chamber of the heart is zoomed in on image by image. This type of thrombus, known as coronary thrombosis, is the usual cause of myocardial infarction (heart attack).

In the blood there are complex mechanisms which trigger blood clotting in case of damage to blood vessels; the results - a thick, mesh-like net of fibrin and erythrocytes - can be seen above. At the same time, other agents discourage the formation of clots which obstruct the blood flow in order to keep major veins and arteries clear. In arteries, the clotting process may be encouraged by the build-up of atheroma (fatty deposits) on blood vessel walls. These can easily lead to heart attack, pulmonary edema, or stroke.

Image Source: Science Photo Library.