Secondary Hemostasis: The Intrinsic Pathway

This version of the course is no longer available.
Need multiple seats for your university or lab? Get a quote
The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Fundamentals of Hemostasis. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

Learn more about Fundamentals of Hemostasis (online CE course)
Secondary Hemostasis: The Intrinsic Pathway

Exposure to contact substances, such as collagen, can activate the intrinsic pathway. The exposed collagen is the location where a complex forms between:
  • High molecular weight kininogen (HMWK)
  • Prekallikrein (also known as Fletcher Factor), which activates to kallikrein
  • Factor XII (Hageman Factor)
Together, this three-biochemical-complex, adhered to the collagen binding site, catalyzes the conversion of factor XII to its activated form, XIIa, thereby triggering the intrinsic pathway.
The intrinsic pathway is circled in red in the image below.