Circulation Pathology Flashcards
(81 cards)
Where are platelets produced?
Bone marrow
What is the precursor cell of platelets?
Megakaryocytes
Production of megakaryocytes
Megakaryocytes in the bone marrow undergo nuclear division but not cell division so we get a huge cell with many nuclei.
Platelets bud off as fragments from cytoplasmic extensions.
Define coagulaiton
Solidification of blood
What is the role of platelets?
Trauma to the vessel causes the exposure of platelets to interstitial collagen.
Platelets adhere together to try to form a bridge to close the gap/heal the trauma. platelets will clot (clump together) to plug the hole in the blood vessel and stop the bleeding.
What are the two types of coagulation?
Thrombus formation
Clot formation
What component of platelets allow the, to adhere to interstitial collagen?
Platelets have molecules on their surfaces which allow adherence to interstitial collagen, even when blood is flowing past them – the clotting cascade deposits Factor VIII which enhances this further
What does a thrombus consist of?
Platelets and a mesh like network of fibrin strands
What is thrombosis?
Thrombosis is the process of thrombus formation which occurs in the flowing blood
Steps in thrombus formation
1)Constriction of the blood vessel
2) Formation of a temporary “platelet plug.”
3) Activation of the coagulation cascade. - clotting factors mainly proteins made by the liver
4) Formation of “fibrin plug” or the final clot.
What colour is a thrombus?
Pale cream coloured
What does a clot consist of?
A clot consists of a network of fibrin strands and red blood cells
Clot formation
- Blood leaks out of a vessel and becomes stationary (or stagnant)
- With the stagnant blood, sitting next to the interstitial collagen, the clotting cascade is activated
Where are key clotting factors produced?
Many are produced in the liver but also by endothelial cells
What does an amplification system result in?
Thrombin production
What does thrombin do?
Converts fibrinogen into insoluble fibrin
What is fibrinogen?
A soluble protein present in blood plasma, from which fibrin is produced by the action of the enzyme thrombin.
What is fibrin?
An insoluble protein that is produced in response to bleeding and is the major component of the blood clot.
What does fibrin form?
Mesh of strands
Where is fibrinogen made and found?
Made: liver
Found: Blood plasma
What does the clotting cascade do?
Lead to the production of thrombin from prothrombin
What are the steps in the clotting cascade?
- Damage to tissue factor
- Prothrombin is converted to thrombin
- Fibrinogen is converted to fibrin by thrombin
What does trauma lead to?
Exposure of interstital collagens (collagens in connective tissue between structures)
Exposure of a molecule called Tissue factor (TF)
What is tissue factor?
A transmembrane glycoprotein that functions as the primary cellular initiator of blood coagulation.