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Glite Dictionary
factor XII

factor XII

6.1
A blood protein that helps start clotting and whose low levels make clotting slow
  • noun
  • /ˈfæktər twɛlv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : factor XII
  • Doctors measured the levels of factor XII to investigate the patient's unexplained bleeding.

Examples

  • A deficiency in factor XII can lead to bleeding disorders.

  • The factor XII plays a role in initiating the blood coagulation cascade.

  • A deficiency in factor XII can lead to abnormal clotting test results.

  • What role does factor XII play in the coagulation process?

  • The factor XII plays a crucial role in blood coagulation by activating other proteins.

  • Patients with low levels of factor XII often experience prolonged bleeding after surgery.

  • To understand clotting disorders, doctors often analyze the function of factor XII in blood samples.

Synonyms

Hageman factor
vsfactor XII
  • Specialized
9.6

A protein in blood that helps form clots

is the alternate formal name used interchangeably

Surface Forms

factor XII singular
factors XII plural

Morphology

factor + xii

The form 'factor XII' is compositionally clear: a learner who knows 'factor' and the Roman numeral 'XII' can infer it denotes the twelfth factor (i.e. a numbered item), so the structural naming is transparent. However, the specific biomedical referent (a coagulation protein/Hageman factor) is specialized domain knowledge not derivable from the constituents, so full meaning is not predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Factor XII was named after a patient called Hageman and given the number 12 written as XII when doctors listed the blood-clotting proteins. So today factor XII means 'a blood protein' that helps 'start clotting'.