Abstract
WHEN whole normal blood clots in a glass tube, the generation of thrombin can be observed by removing 0.1-ml. amounts at intervals and adding these to fibrinogen. The clotting times of the fibrinogen samples will record the amount of thrombin present. When this is done, it is found that there is a phase lasting 3–4 min. in Which no thrombin can be detected. Thereafter an extremely rapid formation of thrombin occurs, and all the prothrombin is converted to thrombin in 2 or 3 min. This separation of thrombin formation into two phases suggests that there is a powerful intrinsic thromboplastic activity of blood, but that 3–4 min. are required for its formation.
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BIGGS, R. Plasma Thromboplastin. Nature 170, 280 (1952). https://doi.org/10.1038/170280a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/170280a0
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