Vasoconstriction Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Vasoconstriction and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| Which of the following mechanisms involve a series of interrelated chemical processes that lead to the formation of durable fibrin strands? | View Page |
| An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Coagulation Blood flow is arrested by way of a complex series of interrelated physiological and biochemical processes. There are a wide variety of factors that influence the effectiveness of hemostatic processes including the following: Type of, and degree of, vessel damage Ability of vasoconstriction to occur Availability of platelets & their functionality Availability of clotting factors & their functionality Absence of inhibitors & anticoagulants | View Page |
| Primary Hemostasis – The Vascular System Overview of Vascular System Involvement in Primary Hemostasis:
Vasoconstriction
Reroute blood flow
Platelet aggregation
Contact activation of coagulation system (start of secondary hemostasis at this point) | View Page |
| Primary Hemostasis – The Vascular System The first specific, recognizable hemostatic mechanism is a process known as vasoconstriction, which is initiated by chemical signals stemming from a breach of the vasculature. Vasoconstriction, or vascular constriction, immediately reduces the quantity of blood flowing through the damaged area. Its action is the physical decrease in the size of the vessel, and the redirection of blood flow around, and away from, the damaged area. Vasoconstriction is akin to putting a clamp on a pliable piece of plastic tubing. A short process in terms of the overall time elapsed, the entire vascular response typically lasts less than one minute! Though fleeting, vasoconstriction is an exceedingly important hemostatic mechanism as it prepares the damaged vessel for subsequent repair activities. | View Page |
| Summary of Primary Hemostasis In summation, we have covered the following sequence of events which comprise primary hemostasis. The process begins with damage to a vessel wall, as blood flows outside the vasculature. The body responds with vasoconstriction, decreasing blood flow to the affected area. Platelets begin sticking to the damaged vessel walls. As the platelets stick, they release chemicals which signal other platelets to respond. As other platelets arrive, they begin sticking to one another, clumping together, forming a plug to fill in the breach. This plug, while strong, is a temporary fix, and must be reinforced with fibrin strands to effectively fill the breach during the vessel repair process. Construction of the fibrin strands occurs during secondary hemostasis, our next topic to be covered. | View Page |