Question

The increase in blood flow to a site of infection acts to ________.

A) recruit more leukocytes to the site of infection
B) increase oxygen in the region to kill the invading bacteria
C) facilitate the migration of the leukocytes into the interstitial space
D) wash the invading bacteria from the region of the infection
E) bring more mast cells to the site of infection

Answer 1

The increased blood flow during an infection is mainly to recruit more leukocytes to the site of infection, where they can migrate into the tissue and combat pathogens.

Step-by-step explanation:

The increase in blood flow to a site of infection acts primarily to recruit more leukocytes to the site of infection. During the inflammatory response, chemicals such as cytokines and histamines are released, which cause capillaries to dilate and become leaky. This facilitates an increase in blood flow, bringing leukocytes, complement proteins, and tissue-repairing proteins into the infected area from the bloodstream.

These leukocytes, including neutrophils and macrophages, perform chemotaxis, which is the migration to the site of infection to destroy pathogens. The main goal is to remove pathogens and initiate the repair process.