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what is thrombus and embolus?

A thrombus is a solid mass of platelets and/or fibrin (and other components of blood) that forms locally in a vessel. Thrombi form when the clotting mechanism is activated.  This is supposed to happen when you are injured.
An embolus is most often a piece of a thrombus that has broken free and is carried toward the brain by the bloodstream. The term thromboembolus is used a lot because it turns out that most emboli arise from thrombi. However, bits of plaque, fat, air bubbles, and other material also qualify as emboli. Presumably an embolus floats along with the flowing blood until it encounters a narrowing in an artery through which it cannot pass. When the embolus gets stuck, it blocks the artery. This reduces blood flow to downstream tissues and causes them to become ischemic.


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