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The human circulatory system functions to transport blood and oxygen from the lungs to
the various tissues of the body. The heart pumps the blood throughout the body. The lymphatic
system is an extension of the human circulatory system that includes cell-mediated and antibody-
such as nutrients and oxygen and transports waste products away from those same cells (ibd).
•Transports nutrients (glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids that is dissolved in the blood
or bound to plasma proteins e.g., blood lipids), waste products (carbon dioxide, urea, and
•Helps regulate fluid-electrolyte balance, acid-base balance, and the body temperature
•Protection against pathogens is provided by white blood cells and the clotting
•Regulation of body pH
CHARACTERISTICS OF BLOOD
A person has 4 to 6 liters of blood, depending on his or her size. Of the total volume in
the human body, 38% to 48% is composed of the various blood cells, also called formed
Arterial blood is bright red because it contains high levels of oxygen. Venous blood has
given up much of its oxygen in tissues, and has a darker, dull red color.
The normal pH range of blood is 7.35 to 7.45 which is slightly alkaline. Venous blood
normally has a lower pH than arterial blood because of the presence of carbon dioxide.
Blood is about three to five times thicker than water. Viscosity increased by the presence
of blood cells and the plasma proteins and this thickness contributes to normal BP (Jenkins &
Tortora, 2011)
PLASMA
Plasma is the liquid part of the blood (straw-yellow in color) and approximately 91%
water. The blood plasma volume totals of 2.7–3.0 liters (2.8–3.2 quarts) in an average human.
Plasma circulates dissolved nutrients, such as glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids (dissolved in
the blood or bound to plasma proteins), removes waste products, such as carbon dioxide, urea,
and lactic acid and carries body heat. Components of blood plasma are plasma proteins
BLOOD CELLS
There are three kinds of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Blood cells are produced from stem cells in hemopoietic tissue (red bone marrow).
RED BLOOD CELLS
Also called erythrocytes, are biconcave discs that has no nuclei. A normal RBC count
ranges from 4.5 to 6.0 million cells per microliter of blood. RBC is formed in red bone marrow
in flat and irregular bones and within the red bone marrow are precursor cells called stem cells.
The rate of production is very rapid, and a major regulating factor is oxygen. The maturation of
RBC requires many nutrients such as protein, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamin B12 in 7 days.
The RBC lives for approximately 120 days. Function of RBC is to carry oxygen and carbon
dioxide in the blood and throughout our body. It is also responsible to deliver necessary
substances such as nutrients to the body's cells at the same time transports metabolite waste
when mature. WBCs protect the body from infectious disease and to provide immunity to certain
diseases. There are five kinds of WBC and these are the neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils,
PLATELETS
Platelets or thrombocytes are not whole cells but rather fragments or pieces of cells.
Some of the stem cells differentiate into large cells called megakaryocytes which break up into
small pieces that enter the circulation, and these are platelets which may last for 5 to 9 days.
Thrombopoietin is a hormone produced by the liver that increases the rate of platelet production.
Thrombocytopenia is the term for low platelet count. Platelets are necessary for hemostasis or
prevention of blood loss. There are three mechanisms that platelets are involved in and these are
When there is bleeding, platelets help in blood clotting process and stop the bleeding
HEART
The human heart is about the
the blood is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for gas exchange. Oxygen-rich
blood returns to the left atrium via the pulmonary vein. The oxygen-rich blood flows through
the bicuspid (mitral) valve into the left ventricle, from which it is pumped through a major artery,
the aorta. Two valves called semilunar valves are found in the pulmonary artery and aorta.
The ventricles contract about 70 times per minute, which represents a person's pulse rate. Blood
pressure, in contrast, is the pressure exerted against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is measured
by noting the height to which a column of mercury can be pushed by the blood pressing against the
arterial walls. A normal blood pressure is a height of 120 millimeters of mercury during heart contraction
(systole) and a height of 80 millimeters of mercury during heart relaxation (diastole). Normal blood
SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION
CIRCULATION
Oxygenated Blood
Oxygenated blood leaves the lungs and enters the Left Atrium (LA) of the heart via
This oxygenated blood is then pumped from the Left Atrium (LA) of the heart to the Left
Ventricle (LV) of the heart, and then out of the heart to the body tissues via the aorta,
The aorta divides into other arteries that serve different parts of the body
The aorta leads to the subclavian arteries that take blood to the arms (some of which
eventually reaches the hands), and also to the carotid artery that carries blood to the head
Blood Supply to the Lower-Body:
The aorta also leads to the hepatic artery that carries blood to the liver, the mesenteric
artery that carries blood to the small intestines, the renal arteries that carry blood to the
kidneys, and the iliac arteries that carry blood to the legs (some of which eventually
Deoxygenated Blood
Blood is deoxygenated when it leaves the tissues and organs it has supplied with oxygen
Blood returns from the head via the jugular veins and from the arms via the subclavian
veins. All of the blood in the major veins of the upper body flows into the superior vena
cava, which returns the blood to the right ventricle of the heart.
Blood returns from the small intestines by passing through the hepatic portal vein to the
liver. Blood returns from the liver via the hepatic vein, from the kidneys via the renal
veins, and from the legs via the iliac veins. All of the blood in the major veins of the lower
body flows into the inferior vena cava, which returns the blood to the right ventricle of the
heart.
After re-entering the (right atrium of the) heart via the superior vena cava and the inferior
vena cava, deoxygenated blood is pumped into the right ventricle of the heart and then out
Deoxygenated blood enters the lungs and is oxygenated before leaving the lungs (as