The process of blood clotting is best described by the term "coagulation." Coagulation refers specifically to the complex biological process that leads to the transformation of liquid blood into a semi-solid clot, preventing excessive bleeding after an injury. This process involves a cascade of reactions that activate various clotting factors, ultimately converting fibrinogen, a soluble plasma protein, into fibrin strands that form a mesh-like structure. This mesh, in conjunction with platelets, helps stabilize the clot and facilitates the healing process.
Hemorrhage refers to the loss of blood, which can occur if coagulation does not happen effectively. Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel that can impede blood flow; while this term is related to coagulation, it describes an abnormal condition rather than the process itself. Fibrinolysis, on the other hand, is the process that disassembles blood clots after they are no longer needed, effectively dissolving the fibrin network. Each of these terms is important in the context of blood coagulation and its associated processes, but "coagulation" is the specific term that describes the action of clot formation.