Cardiovascular system The cardiovascular system includes the heard and the blood vessels, and circulates blood

throughout the body. Blood is pumped by the hearth through the arteries, veins and capillaries. The blood takes food and fuel to every living cell, and carries away waste products. The are 60,000 kilometres of tubes in the adult cardiovascular system, and about 5 litres of blood. Blood vessel A blood vessel is a tube in the body through which blood flows, or circulates. The main blood vessels are arteries, veins and capillaries. Artery An artery is a fle ible tube inside the body. !t has thick, strong walls. Arteries carry blood mi ed with o ygen from the hearth to all parts of the body. Tiny muscles in the artery walls help the heart to push the blood along. This flow of blood along the arteries can be felt as the pulse. The walls of arteries may become thicker and harder, and narrowed by fat deposits. This makes it more difficult for blood to flow through and can cause heart disease. Vein A vein is a tube inside the body. There is a network of veins inside the body. They all carry blood from the body tissues back to the heart. Tiny veins called capillaries pass the blood to larger veins called venules. These "oin bigger veins which connect up to two huge veins that empty blood into the heart. The blood flow in a vein is helped by muscles which surround it. The blood can only flow one way because many of the veins are fitted with valves. #eins have thinner walls than arteries. Capillary A capillary is the smallest type of blood vessel. $apillaries connect the smallest arteries with the smallest veins. They can be so tiny that only one blood cell at a time is able to pass along them. $apillaries carry blood rich in o ygen to the tissues, and carry away waste products.