Hemostasis is the process of preventing blood loss from broken blood vessels. It is achieved through three main mechanisms: vascular constriction, platelet plug formation, and blood coagulation. Vascular constriction occurs when smooth muscle contracts after vessel wall trauma. Platelets aggregate at the injury site to form a plug and provide clotting factors. Blood coagulation activates clotting factors through the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, ultimately converting prothrombin to thrombin which converts fibrinogen to fibrin forming a clot. Clots are dissolved by plasmin which degrades fibrin, and several factors prevent excessive clotting.