Arizona State University (ASU) HCR240 Human Pathophysiology Test 1 Practice

The vascular response to injury primarily involves vasodilation and increased capillary permeability. When tissues are injured, the body’s immediate response is to increase blood flow to the affected area through vasodilation. This process allows more blood, which carries essential nutrients and immune cells, to reach the site of injury.

Increased capillary permeability is also critical during this response. It allows plasma proteins and leukocytes to exit the bloodstream and enter the tissue, contributing to the inflammatory response. This increase in permeability results in the classic signs of inflammation, including redness and swelling. Together, these processes help the body initiate healing and fight potential infection at the site of injury, making them key aspects of the vascular response.

Other choices focus on aspects that do not accurately reflect the body's immediate response to injury, thereby underscoring why they do not represent the correct mechanisms involved in the vascular response.