How does the vascular system contribute to hemostasis?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: The vascular system contributes to hemostasis through its various functions:
Procoagulant
Anticoagulant
Fibrinolytic
General characteristics:
It has the ability to undergo vasoconstriction (procoagulant) and vasodilation (anticoagulant).
It's layers of the blood vessel (tunica adventitia, tunica media, and tunica intima) all have collagen: exposed subendothelial collagen is responsible for initiating contact activation and platelet adhesion and activation.
It is a source of von Willebrand factor needed for platelet adhesion and factor VIII carrier
Other procoagulant functions:
Releases p-selectin to recruit WBC and PLTs to the site of injury
Anticoagulant functions:
Releases prostacyclin (platelet activator inhibitor and vasodilator)
Releases nitric oxide (vasodilator)
Releases thrombomodulin (interacts with thrombin to activate protein C and S pathway that degrades factors V and VIII)