WHAT IS
CIRCULAT
ORY
SYSTEM?
COMPONENTS AND
BASIC FUNCTION:-
• The heart and blood vessels make up the
circulatory system.
• The main function of the circulatory
system is to provide oxygen, nutrients and
hormones to muscles, tissues and organs
throughout the body.
• Another part of the circulatory system is to
remove waste from cells and organs so that
the body can dispose of it.
PARTS OF CIRCULATORY SYSTEM:-
• The circulatory system basically has three parts :-
1. Heart
2. Blood vessels : includes arteries and veins
3. Blood
• We shall look at all these in detail in the coming slides.
HEART
• The heart is a muscular organ. This
organ pumps blood through
the blood vessels of the circulatory
system. The pumped blood
carries oxygen and nutrients to the
body, while carrying metabolic
waste such as carbon dioxide to
the lungs.
• The heart is the only “organ” of the
circulatory system
• The heart has 4 chambers, namely – right atrium, right
ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle.
• Blood is passed through the heart twice, once deoxygenated
and once oxygenated. This is called ‘double circulation’.
• The right side of the heart circulates deoxygenated blood to the
lungs via the ‘Pulmonary Circuit’, while the left side
circulates oxygenated blood form the heart to the body parts
via the ‘Systemic Circuit’.
• The third circuit is the ‘Coronary Circuit’ that provides the
heart muscles with oxygenated blood and then returns
deoxygenated blood to the right atrium to send to the lungs.
LAYERS OF THE HEART WALL:-
• The wall of the heart separates into the
following layers: epicardium, myocardium,
and endocardium.
• A double-layer, fluid-filled sac known as the
pericardium, surrounds the heart.
• The sub endocardium is found between the
endocardium and myocardium and contains the
impulse-conducting system.
• The epicardium constitutes the visceral
pericardium, underlying fibro-elastic
connective tissue, and adipose tissue.
Blood vessels: arteries and veins
• There are three main types of blood vessels:-
1. Arteries: Arteries are thin, muscular tubes that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart
and to every part of the body. The aorta is the body’s largest artery. It starts at the heart and
travels up the chest (ascending aorta) and then down into the stomach (descending aorta). The
coronary arteries branch off the aorta, which then branch into smaller arteries (arterioles) as
they get farther from the heart.
2. Veins: These blood vessels return deoxygenated blood to the heart. Veins start small and get
larger as they approach the heart. Two central veins deliver blood to the heart - Superior vena
cava (carries blood from the upper body to the heart); and the Inferior vena cava (brings blood
up from the lower body to the heart). Veins in the legs have valves to keep blood from flowing
backward.
3. Capillaries: These blood vessels connect very small arteries (arterioles) and veins (venules).
Capillaries have thin walls that allow oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients and waste products to
pass into and out of cells.
• The blood vessels work with the heart and lungs to continuously
circulate blood through the body. Here’s how:
1. The heart’s bottom right pumping chamber (right ventricle)
sends blood that’s low in oxygen (deoxygenated blood) to the
lungs. Blood travels through the pulmonary trunk (the main
pulmonary artery).
2. Blood cells pick up oxygen in the lungs.
3. Pulmonary veins carry the oxygenated blood from the lungs to
the heart’s left atrium (upper heart chamber).
4. The left atrium sends the oxygenated blood into the left ventricle
(lower chamber). This muscular part of the heart pumps blood
out to the body through the arteries (aorta).
5. As it moves through your body and organs, blood collects and
drops off nutrients, hormones and waste products.
6. The veins carry deoxygenated blood and carbon dioxide back to
the heart, which sends the blood to the lungs.
7. Your lungs get rid of the carbon dioxide when you exhale.
• The right atrium and right ventricle have valves to prevent backflow of
blood. The valve between 2 chambers of the right side of the heart
have the tricuspid valve
• The valve for the left side of the heart is called the mitral valve and
this also prevent the backflow of blood.
• Blood from the left ventricle is pumped into the Aorta with a lot of
pressure as that blood is to be transported to all the body parts.
POSSIBLE CONDITIONS THAT MAY
ARISE:-
• Aneurysms: Aneurysms occur when an artery wall weakens and
enlarges. The weak spot can bulge as blood moves through the artery.
The weak spot may tear, causing a life-threatening rupture.
• High blood pressure: Your arteries work hard to circulate blood
throughout the body. When the pressure (force of blood against the
blood vessel walls) gets too high, you develop high blood pressure.
High blood pressure puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease, heart
attacks and strokes.
