Final answer:
In the healing process of an injury, inflammation occurs first, characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain, followed by clotting and eventually leading to scarring.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inflammation Before Scarring
The process of tissue repair after an injury involves several overlapping stages. The first response of the body to an injury is inflammation, which is the classic response involving redness, warmth, swelling, and pain. This phase is crucial as it limits the extent of damage and initiates the repair and regeneration of damaged tissue. Following inflammation, blood clot formation occurs to reduce blood loss and to start the clotting process. Eventually, as part of the repair phase, fibroblasts deposit collagen leading to the creation of a scar. Therefore, inflammation occurs before scarring in the healing process.