February 15, 2006 (Vol. 26, No. 4)
URL:
http://tollefsen.wustl.edu/projects/coagulation/coagulation.html
Rating:
Strong Points: Well designed for researchers
Weak Points: Could have better educational content
Summary:
In the general biochemistry course I teach at Oregon State University, one of the topics students find both fascinating and complex is that of blood coagulation. It’s not without good reason, in my humble opinion. Consider the process, which results from the convergence of two interconnected, cascading pathways (intrinsic and extrinsic) giving rise to a tremendous amplification of a signal. An intelligent site that presents this complicated information in an easy to understand format is needed. Doug Tollefsen’s Blood Coagulation site at Washington University in St. Louis is a step in the right direction. With well-written descriptions and updated perspectives, the site provides an excellent overview of the process from a researcher’s point of view. That’s all good, of course, but I’m still looking for a site with a simpler treatment for teaching the process to newbies.
