Which term describes a clot that travels through the bloodstream?

Which term describes a clot that travels through the bloodstream?

• A. Thrombus
• B. Embolus
• C. Hematoma
• D. Hemorrhage

Answer: (B)

A traveling clot is called an embolus. The key idea is that it moves through the bloodstream after detaching from its origin, potentially lodging downstream and blocking blood flow in distant vessels. An embolus can be a piece of a thrombus, a displaced fat or air bubble, or other material, and when it blocks a vessel it can cause serious problems like a pulmonary embolism if it travels to the lungs or an arterial blockage elsewhere. In contrast, a thrombus is a clot that forms in place at the site of vessel injury or stasis and doesn’t have to travel. A hematoma is simply a collection of blood outside vessels, usually due to injury, and hemorrhage refers to active bleeding, not a traveling clot.

A traveling clot is called an embolus. The key idea is that it moves through the bloodstream after detaching from its origin, potentially lodging downstream and blocking blood flow in distant vessels. An embolus can be a piece of a thrombus, a displaced fat or air bubble, or other material, and when it blocks a vessel it can cause serious problems like a pulmonary embolism if it travels to the lungs or an arterial blockage elsewhere.

In contrast, a thrombus is a clot that forms in place at the site of vessel injury or stasis and doesn’t have to travel. A hematoma is simply a collection of blood outside vessels, usually due to injury, and hemorrhage refers to active bleeding, not a traveling clot.