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Two different heparin surfaces, structurally closely related and of similar negative charge characteristics, were compared with regard to adsorption and activation of coagulation Factor XII (FXII). One surface was prepared by immobilization of unfractioned heparin, which yielded a surface containing both heparin molecules with high and with low affinity for antithrombin (unfractioned [UF] heparin surface). The other surface consisted of a fraction of heparin molecules with low affinity for antithrombin (LA heparin surface) and essentially devoid of antithrombin-binding as well as anticoagulant activity. Both surfaces adsorbed FXII from plasma to a similar extent, and essentially the same quantities of bound factor could be recovered from the surfaces. The two heparin surfaces, however, differed markedly with regard to activation of the adsorbed FXII. On the LA heparin surface, a major portion of the surface-bound FXII was recovered in its enzymatically active form (FXIIa), but only trace amounts of the FXII taken up by the UF heparin surface had undergone activation. When FXII-deficient plasma was used instead of normal plasma, no surface-associated enzyme activity could be recovered on either surface. The presence of free standard heparin or low molecular weight heparin in the plasma exposed to the LA heparin surface did not prevent conversion of FXII to FXIIa.