The circulatory system consists of three independent systems that work together: the heart (cardiovascular), lungs (pulmonary), and arteries, veins, coronary and portal vessels (systemic). The system is responsible for the flow of blood, nutrients, oxygen and other gases, and as well as hormones to and from cells.
Your circulatory system, also known as your cardiovascular system, is made up of your heart and blood vessels. It works to transport oxygen and other nutrients to all the organs and tissues in your body.
The heart is the key organ in the circulatory system. As a hollow, muscular pump, its main function is to propel blood throughout the body.
The circulatory system in the human body stretches 66,000 miles, more than two and a half times the circumference of the Earth.
Terms in this set (5)
- Circulates. blood to all parts of the body.
- Transports. water, oxygen and nutrients to cells.
- Transports. wastes, including carbon dioxide, away from the cells.
- Helps. maintain correct body temperature.
- Helps. fight disease, through white blood cells and antibodies in the blood.
On this page we take a closer look at the four major functions of the cardiovascualr system - transportation, protection, fluid balance and thermoregulation.
- Transportation of nutrients, gases and waste products.
- Maintenance of constant body temperature (thermoregulation)
- Maintaining fluid balance within the body.
The circulatory system, also called the cardiovascular system or the vascular system, is an organ system that permits blood to circulate and transport nutrients (such as amino acids and electrolytes), oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones, and blood cells to and from the cells in the body to provide nourishment and help in
1. There Are Two Types of Circulation: Pulmonary Circulation and Systemic Circulation. Pulmonary circulation moves blood between the heart and the lungs.
The left ventricle is the strongest because it has to pump blood out to the entire body. When your heart functions normally, all four chambers work together in a continuous and coordinated effort to keep oxygen-rich blood circulating throughout your body.
The cardiovascular system delivers oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and other important substances to cells and organs in the body. It plays an important role in helping the body meet the demands of activity, exercise, and stress. It also helps maintain body temperature, among other things.
Organ Systems of the Human Body
| Organ System | Functions |
|---|
| Skeletal | Supports and moves body Protects internal organs Mineral storage Blood formation |
| Muscular | Locomotion Heat production |
| Nervous | Coordinates activities of other organ systems Responds to sensations |
| Endocrine | Regulates body functions by chemicals (hormones) |
Circulatory system: The system that moves blood throughout the body. The circulatory system is composed of the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins. This remarkable system transports oxygenated blood from the lungs and heart throughout the body via the arteries.
The blood circulatory system (cardiovascular system) delivers nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body. It consists of the heart and the blood vessels running through the entire body. The arteries carry blood away from the heart; the veins carry it back to the heart.
An adult's would be closer to 100,000 miles long. There are three kinds of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries. Each of these plays a very specific role in the circulation process. Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart.
Oxygenated blood can be simply defined as a blood cell with large percentage of oxygen and low in carbon dioxide. It appears bright red in colour and travels away from the heart to different parts of the body.
The largest artery is the aorta, the main high-pressure pipeline connected to the heart's left ventricle. The aorta branches into a network of smaller arteries that extend throughout the body. The arteries' smaller branches are called arterioles and capillaries.
Blood enters the heart through two large veins, the inferior and superior vena cava, emptying oxygen-poor blood from the body into the right atrium. The pulmonary vein empties oxygen-rich blood, from the lungs into the left atrium.
Blood has many different functions, including: transporting oxygen and nutrients to the lungs and tissues. forming blood clots to prevent excess blood loss. carrying cells and antibodies that fight infection.
7 Steps in the CIRCULATORY SYSTEM that explain HOW BLOOD FLOWS through your HEART
- Your AORTA pumps OXYGENATED blood out of your heart to your body.
- DEOXYGENATED blood returns to your heart through the SUPERIOR VENA CAVA and INFERIOR VENA CAVA to your RIGHT ATRIUM.
Circulatory system: The system that moves blood throughout the body. The circulatory system is composed of the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins. This remarkable system transports oxygenated blood from the lungs and heart throughout the body via the arteries.