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Heparin (from Ancient Greek ηπαρ (hepar), liver), also known as unfractionated heparin, a highly-sulfated glycosaminoglycan, is widely used as an injectable anticoagulant, and has the highest negative charge density of any known biological molecule. It can also be used to form an inner anticoagulant surface on various experimental and medical devices such as test tubes and renal dialysis machines. Pharmaceutical-grade heparin is derived from mucosal tissues of slaughtered meat animals such as porcine (pig) intestine or bovine (cow) lung.
Although used principally in medicine for anticoagulation, the true physiological role in the body remains unclear, because blood anti-coagulation is achieved mostly by heparan sulfate proteoglycans derived from endothelial cells. Heparin is usually stored within the secretory granules of mast cells and released only into the vasculature at sites of tissue injury. It has been proposed that, rather than anticoagulation, the main purpose of heparin is defense at such sites against invading bacteria and other foreign materials. In addition, it is conserved across a number of widely different species, including some invertebrates that do not have a similar blood coagulation system.
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![A free coagulation cascade study guide is available at coagulationcascade.blogspot.com! I'm a med student at Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. I always hated trying to learn the coagulation pathways until I found a way that was simple enough for me to retain. [correction I wrote that plasmin helps form C3a to activate complement. While fibrin does split C3 into C3a and C3b, I believe that C3b is the subunit that goes on to initiate the membrane attack complex. C3a is a neutrophil chemotactic factor.] This video is intended to help you: 1) remember the pathways associated with Heparin and Warfarin 2) remember the tests used to asses the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways 3) remember the interaction of kallikrien with the coagulation pathway 4) become familiar with the roles of proteins C and S (also vitamin K dependent). 5) become familiar with the role of HMWK in the coagulation cascade and Bradykinin production 6) understand how plasmin is activated and inactivated 7) become familiar with the role of plasmin. 8) Appreciate the interaction of the coagulation cascade with complement through C3b If this video was a little too complex, I start the coagulation pathway from scratch in part 1. Note: Feel free to correct any mistakes I've made in the comments, or better yet, post a better video yourself. Maybe one day everyone will understand this stuff. Also, I can't guarantee the details of what I'm presenting are accurate, although I've tried <b>...</b>](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iU-P5nyD8AQ/0.jpg)
