Anatomy and Physiology II Practice Test

An embolus refers to a particle or substance that has detached from its original site, often from a thrombus, and travels through the bloodstream. This dislodged material can potentially cause blockages in smaller blood vessels, leading to serious complications such as stroke or pulmonary embolism, depending on where it ends up.

In contrast, a thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vessel and remains attached to its site of origin. Coagulum and clot are terms that refer to the formed mass of blood resulting from coagulation, but they do not specifically describe the phenomenon of a clot that has become dislodged and is now circulating. Therefore, the term embolus accurately captures the process of a blood clot fragment traveling within the bloodstream.