Hemophilia

Definition

Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This results from a deficiency in one of the clotting factors in the blood.

Related terms

Hemostasis: The physiological process by which bleeding ceases, involving blood vessel constriction and the formation of a blood clot.

Clotting factors: Proteins in the blood plasma that work together to stop bleeding by forming a clot over injuries.

Coagulation: The process of changing blood from a liquid into a gel, forming a blood clot, which is pivotal in halting excessive bleeding after vascular injury