Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
...the conversion of the soluble fibrinogen to soluble fibrin under the influence of the enzyme thrombin (factor IIa). Soluble fibrin is converted to insoluble fibrin strands by activated factor XIII (fibrin-stabilizing factor), and covalent cross-linkages form between the fibrin strands to give a strong and rigid network. Several of the clotting factors (II, VII, IX, X) require the presence of...
...entangle platelets, building up a spongy mass that gradually hardens and contracts to form the blood clot. This hardening process is stabilized by a substance known as fibrin-stabilizing factor, or factor XIII.
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