fibrin

Everyday

(science) Fibrin is a stringy protein in the blood that forms a net of threads to make a clot and stop bleeding when you cut yourself. tree →

In the lessons

In science and health lessons pupils learn how blood clots: platelets stick to the cut, and fibrin threads form a mesh that traps blood cells to make a scab. It is a scientific word. Related: fibrinogen, platelets, clotting.

Examples

• Fibrin forms a net over a cut. tree →
• Platelets and fibrin help blood to clot. tree →
• The scab on my knee is made with the help of fibrin. tree →
• Fibrin threads trap red blood cells. tree →
• Without fibrin, a small cut could keep bleeding. tree →
• Under the microscope, fibrin looks like a tangle of thread. tree →

Note

Uncountable, scientific. Pronounced «FY-brin». Not the same as «fibre» (fiber in US), which is in food or cloth, though both come from the Latin for «thread». Fibrin is made from fibrinogen, a protein dissolved in blood.