CIRCULATORY

SYSTEM

Circulatory System

heart, blood, and blood vessels

transport oxygen and nutrients
to organs and tissues
throughout the body
carry away waste products

I. Functions

Increases blood flow

conveys disease-fighting elements of

immune system to regions under
attack

meet increased energy demands during

exercise
regulates body temperature

white blood cells and antibodies

sends clotting cells and proteins to

the affected site

stop bleeding and promote healing

II.Circulatory System Components

Heart - divided into four chambers

right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium,

left ventricle

Chamber walls composed of

myocardium

contracts continuously and

rhythmically to pump blood.

Pumping

action of the heart -two

stages for each heart beat
Diastole-when
Systole-when

the heart is at rest

the heart contracts to

pump deoxygenated blood toward the
lungs and oxygenated blood to the
body.

During each heartbeat,

typically about 60 to 90 ml
(about 2 to 3 oz) of blood are
pumped out of the heart.
If the heart stops pumping,
death usually occurs within
four to five minutes.

Three types of blood cells

oxygen-bearing red blood cells

disease-fighting white blood cells
blood-clotting platelets, all of which
are carried through blood vessels in
plasma

plasma is yellowish, consists of water, salts,

proteins, vitamins, minerals, hormones,
dissolved gases, and fats.

Three types of blood vessels

arteries carry blood away

veins - toward heart

thicker walls to withstand the pressure of blood

being pumped from heart
lower pressure
one-way valves to prevent blood from flowing
backwards away from heart

capillaries

tiny links b/w arteries and veins where oxygen and

nutrients diffuse to body tissues
smallest of blood vessels, are only visible by
microscope ten capillaries lying side by side are
barely as thick as a human hair.

Inner layer of blood vessels

lined with endothelial cells - create

a smooth passage for blood transit
surrounded by connective tissue
and smooth muscle for:
Expansion - during exercise to meet demand
for blood and to cool body
Contraction - after injury to reduce bleeding
and/or conserve body heat

If all the arteries, veins, and

capillaries in the human body
were placed end to end, the
total length would equal more
than 100,000 km (more than
60,000 mi)they could stretch
around the earth nearly two
and a half times.

Arteries, veins, and capillaries - divided into two

systems:

Systemic - carries oxygenated blood from heart to all

tissues in body except lungs and returns
deoxygenated blood carrying waste products, such as
carbon dioxide, back to heart.
oxygen-rich blood ejected under high pressure out of
heart's main pumping chamber (L. ventricle) through
largest artery (aorta)
smaller arteries branch off from aorta to various parts of the body
smaller arteries in turn branch out into even smaller arteries
(arterioles)
arterioles become progressively smaller eventually forming capillaries
- blood pressure is greatly reduced

interstitial fluid fills the gaps between the cells of tissues or organs

dissolved oxygen and nutrients then enter the cells from interstitial
fluid by diffusion
carbon dioxide and other wastes leave the cell via interstitial fluid,
cross capillary walls, and enter blood.

after delivering oxygen to tissues and absorbing wastes,

deoxygenated blood in capillaries then starts the return trip to heart

capillaries merge to form tiny veins, called

venules
venules join together to form progressively
larger veins
veins converge into two large veins:

inferior vena cava-brings blood from the lower half of

body
superior vena cava-brings blood from upper half
Both join at the right atrium of heart

FYI

Varicose Veins
pressure is dissipated in arterioles and capillaries
blood in veins flows back to heart at very low pressure,
often running uphill when a person is standing
Flow against gravity allowed by one-way valves
several centimeters apart in veins
Veins with defective valves (allow the blood to flow
backward) become enlarged or dilated to form varicose
veins

Varicose
veins

Pulmonary Circulation

deoxygenated blood returning from organs and tissues travel

from R. atrium to R. ventricle.
pushed through pulmonary artery to lung
pulmonary artery divides forming pulmonary capillary region
microscopic vessels pass adjacent to alveoli (air sacs) - gases
are exchanged across thin membrane
oxygen crosses membrane into blood while carbon dioxide
leaves blood through same membrane
newly oxygenated blood then flows into pulmonary veins and is
collected by L. atrium of the heart
(collecting pool for
L.ventricle)
contraction of L. ventricle sends blood into aorta
completing circulatory loop

SUP. VENA CAVA

AORTIC ARCH

L. LUNG
PUL. ARTERY

R. LUNG
HEART

INF. VENA CAVA

PUL. VEINS

AORTA

On

average, a single
blood cell takes roughly
30 seconds to complete a
full circuit through both
the pulmonary and
systemic circulation.

III. Additional Functions

& Features

Transports nutrients and removes toxins

Absorbed through intestine wall via network of capillaries

and veins that drain the intestine hepatic portal circulation (HPC)

HPC carries nutrients/toxins to the liver for further metabolic

processing.
Liver stores sugars, fats, and vitamins & releases to the blood
as needed
Liver also cleans blood by removing waste product and
toxins. After hepatic portal blood has crossed the liver cells
veins converge to form the large hepatic vein that joins the
vena cava near the right atrium.

Body Temperature
Regulation

exercise = muscles
generate heat
blood supplying muscles
with oxygen and
nutrients absorbs much
heat and carries to other
parts of body

If body gets too warm,

vessels near skin enlarge
= disperse excess heat
outward through skin
If cold, blood vessels
constrict to retain heat.

Hormone Transportation

Endocrine system = collection of hormoneproducing glands

Regulates rate of metabolism, growth, sexual

development, and other functions.

chemical messengers (hormones) released

directly into bloodstream
transported to specific organs and tissues

WBC & Antibody Transport and

Clotting
WBC and antibodies circulate in blood
transported to infection sites
coagulation system - composed of

Platelets and clotting factors circulate in blood

Damaged blood vessels are repaired by forming
clots

Supporting Organs

Brain/nervous system

Bone Marrow

Site of new blood cell manufacture

Spleen

monitor blood circulation

send signals to heart or blood vessels to maintain constant blood
pressure.

Old blood cells are broken down

valuable constituents, such as iron, are recycled

Kidneys

metabolic waste products removed from blood

also screens for excess salt
maintains blood pressure
balance of minerals and fluids