Haemostasis and Blood Groups Flashcards
What are 2-4 in diameter, have amoeboid movement (little feet), and are 130,000 to 400,000 per litre?
Platelets
Small fragments of megakaryocyte cytoplasm are?
Platelets
What can secrete chemicals (clotting factors, factors for endothelial repair & vasoconstrictors in broken vessels), form temporary platelet plugs, dissolve old blood clots and attract leukocytes to sites of inflammation to phagocyte bacteria?
Platelets
A balanced interaction of blood cells, vasculature, plasma proteins and low molecular weight substances is…
homeostasis
Perfect haemostasis means:
No bleeding and no thrombosis (clotting)
What occurs to effectively close breaks in small vessels?
Haemostasis (the control of bleeding)
What is primary haemostasis?
Temporary Platelet Plug
What is secondary haemostasis?
Coagulation then stable clot
What is the first step in haemostasis?
Vascular spasm
Vascular spasm is the prompt constriction of a broken vessel. What 3 things is this triggered by?
Pain receptors (this lasts for a few minutes)
Injury to smooth muscle (this provides longer lasting constriction)
The release of serotonin from platelets
What other 2 mechanisms are given time to work whilst vascular spasm takes place in haemostasis?
Platelet plug formation and blood clotting
What is the second stage of haemostasis?
Platelet plug formation
Outline how platelet plug formation works:
After the injury there is immediate vasoconstriction.
Within seconds there is platelet adhesion, and minutes there is platelet aggregation.
As there is a broken vessel, there is a rough surface and exposed collagen. Platelets stick to that and other platelets too, and release substances like ADP. This is a positive feedback cycle.
What type of feedback mechanism is used in haemostasis?
Positive Feedback
What is exposed that platelets stick to when a vessel breaks?
Collagen
In a major break, would platelet plug formation work?
No
What is the third step in haemostasis?
Coagulation.
There are inactive clotting factors in the plasma. What produces these?
The liver
How does coagulation work?
Fibrinogen combines with thrombin to make insoluble fibrin - this forms a tight mesh for red blood cells to stick to
There are 2 pathways in coagulation. What are they?
Extrinsic (fast)
Intrinsic
Which coagulation pathway is started by the damaged tissue releasing thromboplastin?
Extrinsic - this happens fast when blood vessel is first damaged
Which coagulation pathway occurs once the temporary platelet plug releases a chemical into the blood?
Intrinsic
The 2 coagulation pathways occur together and converge to make a common pathway. What is required for them to be effective?
Calcium
Damaged perivascular tissues release thrombin factor 3, which activates another factor then another factor until FACTOR X is activated. Which pathway is this?
Extrinisic