A fast-acting anticoagulant medication that prevents blood clot formation by enhancing the activity of antithrombin. It's administered by injection and commonly used in hospitals for immediate anticoagulation during surgeries, heart attacks, and pulmonary embolisms.
From Greek 'hepar' meaning 'liver', where it was first discovered in 1916 by medical student Jay McLean. The name reflects its original isolation from liver tissue, though it's now produced from pig intestines or synthetically.
Heparin was discovered by accident when a medical student was trying to extract a clot-promoting substance from liver tissue but found the opposite - a powerful clot preventer! During heart surgery, patients receive so much heparin that their blood becomes essentially unable to clot, then it's reversed with protamine sulfate.
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