Blood Clots
This activity demonstrates the process of coagulation.
Students make a model to show what happens when you get a cut and how our bodies form clots to stop bleeding.
What You Need
- Paper cup with a hole on the side (middle to bottom of the cup)
- Red clay
- Yellow clay
- Green clay
- Blue clay
- Container of water
- Bowl
Activity outline
Safety Notes
Ensure you are familiar with Let's Talk Science's precautions with respect to safe delivery of virtual outreach to youth.
What To Do
- Place a paper cup in a bowl. Pour water into your cup higher than where the hole is. Does the water stay in the cup or does it leak out?
- Pour any water out of your cup.
- Take a small piece of red clay and plug the hole by pushing the clay around and over the hole on the inside and outside of the cup. This models the protein named factor 7.
- Add a piece of yellow clay on top of the red clay. This models the protein named factor 10.
- Add a piece of green clay on top of the yellow clay. This models the protein named thrombin.
- Add a piece of blue clay on top of the green clay. This models the protein named fibrin. The clot is now complete.
- Make sure to follow the order of colours when adding the clay and do not skip any colours or your plug/clot may not work.
- Slowly add some water to your cup so it goes higher than the plug/clot. Does the water stay in the cup now or does it leak out?
Discovery
When we get a cut, it makes a hole in our blood vessels (the parts of our bodies that carry blood from one part of our body to another part of our body). Blood starts to leak out of the hole, just like the water did in the cup before you added the clay. Our bodies have substances called proteins that work together to create a plug called a blood clot, so the blood stays in our body. The proteins have to work in the right order, just like when you put on your socks and shoes. You wouldn't tie your shoes, then put them on, and then your socks! Each protein tells the next protein to work until the clot is created. The creation of this plug, or blood clot is called coagulation. When the clot dies, we get a scab.
What's Happening?
When we get a cut, it makes a hole in our blood vessels (the parts of our bodies that carry blood from one part of our body to another part of our body). Blood starts to leak out of the hole, just like the water did in the cup before you added the clay. Our bodies have substances called proteins that work together to create a plug called a blood clot, so the blood stays in our body. The proteins have to work in the right order, just like when you put on your socks and shoes. You wouldn't tie your shoes, then put them on, and then your socks! Each protein tells the next protein to work until the clot is created. The creation of this plug, or blood clot is called coagulation. When the clot dies, we get a scab.