Ci

rcul
ator
ysy
stem

Thehumanbodyi sacomplexmachine, r
equiri
ngmanypr ocessestofunct
ionef
fi
cient
ly.
Tokeepthesecruci
alpr
ocessesrunningwithoutanyhi
tches,vit
alel
ementsand
componentsneedtobedeli
veredtothev ar
iouspart
softhebody .
Thisrol
eoft r
anspor
tat
ionisundert
akenbythehumanci
rcul
ator
ysy st
em,movi
ng
essenti
alnutr
ient
sandmi ner
alsthr
oughoutt
hebodyandmetaboli
cwastepr
oduct
s
awayf r
om thebody.
Theci
rcul
ator
ysy st
em isanetworkconsi
sti
ngofblood,bl
oodv essel
s,andtheheart.
Thi
snetworksuppli
esti
ssuesinthebodywit
hox ygenandothernutri
ents,
transpor
ts
hor
mones,andremov esunnecessar
ywasteproducts.

HumanCi
rcul
ator
ySy
stem Di
agr
am

Ci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem di
agr
am hi
ghl
i
ght
ingt
hevar
iouspathwaysofbl
ood(
Blue=De-
oxy
genat
edbl
ood
&Red=Oxy
genatedblood)
 Thehumanci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem consi
stsofsev
eral
cir
cui
ts:

 Thepul
monar
yci
rcui
tpr
ovi
desbl
oodf
lowbet
weent
hehear
tandl
ungs.
 Thesystemi
cci
rcui
tal
lowsbloodtof
lowtoandfr
om ther
estoft
hebody
.
 Thecoronar
yci
rcui
tst
rict
lypr
ovi
desbloodt
othehear
t.

Keyt
erms
Ter
m Meani
ng
Ci
rcul
ator
y Thebodysyst
em r
esponsi
bleforcar
ryi
ngbl
ood,
sy
stem nut
ri
ents,
andwastethr
oughoutthebody

Car
diac Rel
atedt
othehear
t

Pul
monar
y Rel
atedt
othel
ungs

Bloodvessel
thatmov
esbl
oodawayf
rom t
he
Ar
ter
y heart

Vei
n Bl
oodv
essel
thatmov
esbl
oodt
owar
dthehear
t

Majorart
erythatcar
ri
esbl
oodt
othesy
stemi
c
Aor
ta ci
rcul
atorysy
stem

Capi
l
lar
y Smal
lbl
oodv
essel
thatal
l
owsnut
ri
entexchange

At
ri
um Upperchamberoft
hehear
t

Vent
ri
cle Lowerchamberoft
hehear
t
Funct
ionsofCi
rcul
ator
ySy
stem
Themostimpor
tantfunct
ionofthecir
cul
ator
ysystem i
str
anspor
ti
ngoxy
gen
thr
oughoutt
hebody.Theotherv
ital
funct
ionsofthehumancir
cul
ator
ysyst
em ar
eas
fol
lows:

1.I
thel
psi
nsust
aini
ngal
ltheor
gansy
stems.
 2.I
ttransport
sblood,nutr
ient
s,oxygen,carbondioxi
deandhor
monest hr
oughout
thebody.
3.I
tprotectscel
lsfr
om pathogens.
4.I
tactsasani nter
faceforcell
-t
o-cel
li
nteract
ion.
5.Thesubstancespresentinthebloodhelpsrepairt
hedamagedt
issue.

KeyFeat
uresofCi
rcul
ator
ySy
stem
Thecr
uci
alf
eat
uresofhumanci
rcul
ator
yar
easf
oll
ows:

 Thehumanci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem consi
stsofbl
ood,
hear
t,bl
oodv
essel
s,andl
ymph.

 Thehumanci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem ci
rcul
atesbl
oodt
hrought
wol
oops(
doubl
e
ci
rcul
ati
on)–Onef
oroxy
genat
edbl
ood,
anot
herf
ordeoxy
genat
edbl
ood.

 Thehumanhear
tconsi
stsoff
ourchamber
s–t
wov
ent
ri
clesandt
woaur
icl
es.

 Thehumanci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem possessesabody
-wi
denet
wor
kofbl
oodv
essel
s.
Thesecompr
isear
ter
ies,
vei
ns,
andcapi
l
lar
ies.

 Thepr
imar
yfunct
ionofbl
oodv
essel
sist
otr
anspor
toxy
genat
edbl
oodand
nut
ri
entstoal
lpar
tsoft
hebody
.Iti
salsot
askedwi
thcol
l
ect
ingmet
abol
i
c
wastest
obeexpell
edfr
om t
hebody.

Or
gansofCi
rcul
ator
ySy
stem
Thehumanci rcul
ator
ysystem compri
ses4mainorganst
hathav
especi
fi
crol
esand
funct
ions.Thevit
alci
rcul
ator
ysy st
em or
gansi
ncl
ude:

 Hear
t

 Bl
ood(
techni
cal
l
y,bl
oodi
sconsi
der
edat
issueandnotanor
gan)

 Bl
oodVessel
s

 Lymphat
icsy
stem

Thehear
t

Thehear
tismadeofspeci
ali
zedcar
diacmuscl
eti
ssuet
hatal
l
owsi
ttoactasapump
wi
thi
ntheci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem.

Thehumanhear
tisdi
vi
dedi
ntof
ourchamber
s.Ther
ear
eoneat
ri
um andonev
ent
ri
cle
oneachsi
deoft
hehear
t.Theat
ri
arecei
vebl
oodandt
hev
ent
ri
clespumpbl
ood.
Di
agr
am showi
ngt
hef
lowofbloodf
rom t
hehear
ttot
her
estoft
he
human
Bl
oodv
essel
s
Bl
oodf
rom t
hehear
tispumpedt
hroughoutt
hebodyusi
ngbl
oodv
essel
s.Ar
ter
iescar
ry
bl
oodawayf
rom t
hehear
tandi
ntocapi
l
lar
ies,
prov
idi
ngoxy
gen(
andot
hernut
ri
ent
s)t
o
t
issueandcel
l
s.Onceoxy
geni
sremov
ed,
thebl
oodt
rav
elsbackt
othel
ungs,
wher
eiti
s
r
eoxy
genat
edandr
etur
nedbyv
einst
othehear
t.

Themainart
eryofthesystemiccircui
tist
heaort
awhichbr
anchesouti
ntoot
her
art
eri
es,
carr
yingbloodtodif
ferentpart
softhebody
.
Therear
etwomai nbloodvessels:

Ar
ter
ies
Arteri
esar ebloodvesselsthattransportoxygenatedbl
oodf r
om thehear tt
ov ar
ious
partsoft hebody.Theyar ethi
ck, el
asti
candar edivi
dedintoasmal lnetworkofblood
vesselscalledcapi
llar
ies.Theonl yexcepti
ontot hi
sisthepulmonaryarteri
es,which
carri
esdeoxy genatedbloodt othelungs.Theycanf orm small
ervesselscall
ed
Arteri
oles.

Vei
ns
Vei
nsarebl oodvessel
sthatcar
rydeoxygenatedbloodtowar dst hehear
tfrom v
ari
ous
par
tsofthebody .Theyarethi
n,elast
icandarepresentclosert othesur
faceoftheski
n.
However
, pulmonaryandumbili
calvei
nsaretheonlyv ei
nsthatcar ryoxy
genatedblood
i
ntheentirebody.Theycanform small
ervessel
scalledVenul es.
Capi
ll
ari
es

Theyar ethesmall
estbl oodvessel
si nt hebody :t
heyconv eybloodbetweentheart
eri
olesand
venules.Thesevesselsareonlyoncel l t
hickandar ef or
m byt aperi
ngendwal l
sofadj
acent
cell
s.Underpressurethesev essel
sl eakpl asmainandoutt osurr
oundingti
ssuef
lui
dthrough
thetaperi
ngendwal ls.Inthi
sway ,oxy gen, wat
er,carbondi oxi
de,oxygen,nut
ri
ent
sandot her
substancesareregulatedbetweent hebl oodandt issuefluid.
 Capi
ll
aryNet
wor
k

Doubl
eCi
rcul
ati
on
Thewaybloodf lowsinthehumanbodyisunique,anditi
squit
eeffi
cientt
oo.Theblood
cir
cul
atesthroughthehearttwi
ce;
hence,iti
scall
eddoubleci
rcul
ation.Ot
herani
mals
l
ikefi
shhav esingl
ecircul
ati
on,
wherebloodcompletesacir
cuitt
hroughtheenti
re
animalonl
yonce.
Themainadvant
ageofdoubl
ecir
cul
ati
onisthatever
yti
ssuei
nthebodyhasasteady
suppl
yofoxy
genatedbl
ood,andi
tdoesnotgetmixedwit
hthedeoxy
genat
edblood.
 Bl
ood
Bloodist hebody ’
sfl
uidconnectiv
et issue,anditformsavitalpartofthehuman
ci
r cul
atorysystem.It
smai nfuncti
oni stoci r
culat
enutri
ent
s, hormones, mineralsand
otheressentialcomponentstodi f
ferentpartsofthebody.Bloodf lowst hrougha
specifi
edsetofpat hwayscalledbloodv essels.Theorganwhi chisinvolvedi npumpi ng
bloodtodi f
ferentbodypartsi
st hehear t.Bloodcell
s,bl
oodpl asma, proteins,andot her
mi ner
al components(suchassodi um, potassium andcal
cium)const it
ut ehumanbl ood.
Bl
oodi
scomposedof
:

 Pl
asma –t
hef
lui
dpar
toft
hebl
oodandi
scomposedof90% ofwat
er.

 Redbl
oodcel
l
s,whi
tebl
oodcel
l
sandpl
atel
etsconst
it
utet
hesol
i
dpar
tofbl
ood.

Ty
pesofBl
oodCel
l
s
Thehumanbodyconsi
stsoft
hreet
ypesofbl
oodcel
l
s,namel
y:

 Redbl
oodcel
ls(
RBC)/Er
ythr
ocy
tes
Redbloodcel
lsar
emai
nlyi
nvol
vedi
ntr
anspor
ti
ngoxy
gen,
nut
ri
ent
s,andot
her
subst
ancestovar
i
 ouspar
tsof
t
hebody
.Thesebl
oodcel
l
sal
sor
emov
ewast
efr
om t
hebody
.

 Whi
tebl
oodcel
ls(
WBC)/Leukocy
tes
Whit
ebloodcel
l
sarespecial
i
zedcell
s,whi
chfunct
ionasabody
’sdefencesy
stem.They
pr
ovidei
mmunitybyf
endingoffpat
hogensandharmful
micr
oorgani
sms.
  Pl
atel
ets/Thr
ombocy
tes

Platel
ets,orthrombocytes,
aresmall
,colorl
esscell
fragmentsinourbloodthatf
orm
clotsandstoporpr eventbl
eedi
ng.Pl
ateletsaremadei nourbonemarr ow,t
hesponge-
l
iket i
ssueinsideourbones.Bonemarrowcont ai
nsstem cel
lsthatdev
el opi
ntor
ed
bloodcell
s, whitebl
oodcell
s,andpl
atelets.

Ly
mphat
icSy
stem
Thehumancir
culator
ysy st
em consist
sofanot
herbodyfl
uidcal
l
edlymph.Iti
sal
so
knownasti
ssueflui
d.Itispr
oducedbyt hel
ymphati
csyst
em whichcompr
isesa
networ
kofi
nter
connect edorgans,
nodesandducts.
Ly mphisacolourl
essf l
uidconsist
ingofsal
ts,pr
otei
ns,wat
er,whit
ebloodcel l
s.Which
transpor
tandcircul
atesdigestedfoodandabsorbedfattoi
ntercel
l
ularspacesinthe
ti
ssues.Unli
kethecirculat
orysystem,l
ymphi snotpumped;i
nstead,i
tpassivel
yflows
throughanetworkofv essels.
Thelymphat
icsystem pr
imari
lyconsist
sofl y
mphat i
cvessel
s,whi
charesimi
lart
othe
vei
nsandcapil
lar
iesoftheci
rculator
ysy st
em.Thev essel
sareconnect
edtolymph
nodes,wher
ethelymphisfil
tered.Thetonsil
s,adenoi
ds,spl
eenandthymusareal
lpar
t
ofthel
ymphati
csy st
em.
 Fr
equent
lyAskedQuest
ions
1.Howdoest
hehumanci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem wor
k?
Thehumanci r
culat
orysystem i
sanet wor
kofar t
eries,veins,
capi
ll
ari
esdesignedt
o
provi
deessenti
almineral
s,nut
ri
ents,andotheressentialcomponentstovar
iouspar
ts
ofthebody.I
talsocoll
ectsmetaboli
cwastet obefilt
eredorexpell
edfrom t
hebody.

2.Whatar
ethet
hreet
ypesofci
rcul
ati
on?

 Pul
monar
yCi
rcul
ati
on

 Sy
stemi
cCi
rcul
ati
on

 Cor
onar
yCi
rcul
ati
on
3.I
sthehumanci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem openorcl
osed?
Thehumancirculatorysy
stem i
saclosedsyst
em thatpumpsbloodthr
oughanet
wor
k
ofar
ter
iesandv eins.Thi
stypeofci
rcul
ati
onisseeninall
ver
tebrat
esandsome
i
nver
tebrat
es.

4.Whati
stheadv
ant
ageofacl
osedci
rcul
ator
ysy
stem?
Inaclosedci
r cul
ator
ysystem,morepressureisavai
labl
einthesystem,andtheblood
canreachthebodyext r
emiti
esmuchqui cker
.Thistr
anslat
estoamuchf ast
er
metaboli
sm rateandquickermovementsinorganismswi t
hclosedcir
cul
atorysy
stems.

5.Whati
sdoubl
eci
rcul
ati
on?
Doubleci
rcul
ati
onisasyst
em ofci
rcul
ati
onwherethebl
oodfl
owsthr
oughthehear
t
twi
ce.Thisty
peofcir
cul
ati
oni
sv er
yeffect
iveast
hebodyhasaconst
antsuppl
yof
oxygenat
edblood.

6.Whatar
ethedanger
sofhi
ghbl
oodpr
essur
e?
Highbl
oodpressurecancausetheinnerwall
softhearter
iestogetdamaged.I
tcan
al
socausearter
iestobecomelesselasti
c.Worst-
casescenari
o,i
tcancausean
aneur
ysm (
abulgeintheart
erythatcanpotenti
all
yrupt
ure).

7.Whati
sast
roke?
Ast r
okeiscausedwhenbrai
ncel
lsdonotgetenoughoxy
genandbl
oodsupply
.Thi
s
causesthecell
stodi
e,resul
ti
ngi
nsymptomssuchasnumbnessint
heface,ar
msora
partoft
hebody .

8.Whati
shy
per
tensi
on?
Hyper
tensioni
sanothert
er mforhi
ghbl
oodpressure.I
toccurswhenthebloodtr
avel
s
t
hroughthebloodvessel
swi t
hmorefor
cethannormal.Thiscanresul
tindamageto
t
hebody .Anaver
agehealthyhumanhasabloodpressureof120/80Hg.Valueshi
gher
t
hanthisisconsi
deredhypert
ensi
on.

9.Whati
shy
po-
tensi
on?
Alsoknownasl owbl oodpressure,
hypotensionisaconditi
onwher ethebloodflows
throughthebloodvesselswithunusual
lylowpr essur
e.Onav er
age,healt
hyblood
pressureisconsi
deredtobebet ween120/ 80Hg.Any t
hinglowerthanthi
si sconsider
ed
ashy po-
tensi
on.