Blood clots stop bleeding, but they can also form in the body when they're not needed - and lead to stroke or heart attack. WebMD explains how the blood clots for better and worse. Coagulation , in physiology, the process by which a blood clot is formed. The formation of a clot is often referred to as secondary hemostasis, because it forms the second stage in the process of arresting the loss of blood from a ruptured vessel. ( Blood vessel constriction and platelet aggregation is the first stage.) Blood is a necessary component of the human body, and the loss of this fluid may be life-threatening. Blood is generated via hematopoiesis and ultimately becomes the delivery method for oxygen to the tissues and cells. The human body protects against loss of blood through the clotting mechanism. Vascular mechanisms, platelets, coagulation factors, prostaglandins, enzymes, and proteins are the contributors to the clotting mechanism which act together to form clots and stop a loss of blood ... Learn how blood clotting , or coagulation, reduces bleeding when we are injured. Find out how platelets, clotting factors and fibrin work together to form a clot and heal the wound.