The coagulation cascade is a complex series of events that leads to blood clotting, essential for stopping bleeding. It involves a sequence of proteins, known as clotting factors, that activate one another in a specific order. This process can be triggered by injury to a blood vessel, leading to the formation of a stable clot. There are two main pathways in the coagulation cascade: the intrinsic pathway and the extrinsic pathway. Both pathways converge into a common pathway that ultimately produces fibrin, a protein that forms the mesh of the blood clot, securing platelets and other components together to seal the wound.