Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Circulatory System
The Circulatory System
CIRCULATORY
SYSTEM
Amoguis, Nicole
Aranjuez, Samantha Gwyneth
Berondo, Nica Julliana
Bongcaras, Rhea
Bucod, Romel
Tinaja, Grace Marie
The Circulatory System
The circulatory system pumps and directs blood cells and substances carried in blood to all
tissues of the body. It includes both the blood and lymphatic vascular systems, and in an
adult the total length of its vessels is estimated at between 100,000 and 150,000
kilometers. The blood vascular system, or cardiovascular system, consists of the following
structures:
The heart propels blood through the system.
Arteries, a series of vessels efferent from the heart that become smaller as they branch
into the various organs, carry blood to the tissues.
Capillaries, the smallest vessels, are the sites of O2, CO2, nutrient, and waste product
exchange between blood and tissues. Together with the smallest arterial and venous
branches carrying blood to and from them, capillaries in almost every organ form a complex
network of thin, anastomosing tubules called the microvasculature or microvascular bed.
Veins result from the convergence of venules into a system of larger channels that
continue enlarging as they approach the heart, toward which they carry the blood to be
pumped again.
HEART
The Heart 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.
Cardiac muscle in the four chambers of the heart
wall contracts rhythmically, pumping the blood
through the circulatory system. The walls of all four heart cham-
bers consist of three major
layers:
Epicardium
Myocardium
Endocardium
EPICARDIUM
The epicardium is the outermost layer of the heart. It is actually the
visceral layer of the serous pericardium, which adheres to the
myocardium of the heart. Histologically, it is made of mesothelial cells,
the same as the parietal pericardium.
Nerves and blood vessels that supply the heart are found in the
epicardium. At the roots of great vessels, the epicardium reflects back
and continues as the parietal pericardium, forming an enclosed
pericardial sac. The sac is filled with serous pericardial fluid that
prevents friction during heart contractions.
MYOCARDIUM
The myocardium is functionally the main constituent of the heart and
the thickest layer of all three heart layers. It is a muscle layer that
enables heart contractions. Histologically, the myocardium is
comprised of cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocytes have a single nucleus
in the center of the cell, which helps to distinguish them from skeletal
muscle cells that have multiple nuclei dispersed in the periphery of the
cell.
ENDOCARDIUM
The endocardium is the innermost layer of the heart. It lines the inner
surfaces of the heart chambers, including the heart valves. The
endocardium has two layers. The inner layer lines the heart chambers
and is made of endothelial cells. Superiorly, is the second layer: a
subendocardial connective tissue which is continuous with the
connective tissue of the myocardium. Branches of the heart’s
conduction system are immersed into the subendocardial layer.
PULMONARY CIRCULATION
and
SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION
The system consisting of the heart, arteries, veins, and micro-
vascular beds is organized as the pulmonary circulation and
the systemic circulation. In the pulmonary circulation the right
side of the heart pumps blood through pulmonary vessels,
through the lungs for oxygenation, and back to the left side of
the heart. The larger systemic circulation pumps blood from the
left side of the heart through vessels supplying either the head
and arms or the lower body, and back to the right side of the
heart.
When the body is at rest, approximately 70% of the blood
moves through the systemic circulation, about 18% through the
pulmonary circulation, and 12% through the heart.
VASCULATURE OF THE HEART
smooth muscle
cells
arterioles
CAPILLARY BEDS
Capillaries permit and regulate Capillaries branch from the
metabolic exchange between metarterioles, which are
blood and surrounding tissues. encircled by scattered smooth
muscle cells, and converge into
These smallest blood vessels the thoroughfare channels, which
always function in networks lack muscle.
called capillary beds, whose size
and overall shape conform to Capillaries are composed of the
that of the structure supplied. simple layer of endothelial cells
rolled up as a tube surrounded by
basement membrane.
pericytes
(P) perivascular
contractile cells
Components:
Lymph
Lymphatic capillaries
Lymphatic vessels
Lymphatic ducts
WHAT IS LYMPH?
Features of structure:
Three layered wall but thinner than vein
More numerous valves than in vein
Interposed by lymph nodes at intervals
Arranged in superficial and deep sets
Has thin walls
Normally do not contain RBCs
LYMPH NODES
Lymph nodes filter lymph and expose lymphocytes to
antigens as part of the immune response.
Structure Function
Small, bean-shaped Phagocytic action
Located along the Production of antibodies
pathways of lymph Activate T and B
vessels lymphocytes
Has two general regions: Filtration of lymph
capsule and cortex
After filtration, the lymph is transported via large lymphatic
vessels to lymphatic ducts (the thoracic and right lymphatic
ducts) and finally enters the subclavian veins and becomes
part of the blood plasma.
The thoracic duct connects with The right lymphatic duct enters
the blood circulatory system near near the confluence of the right
the junction of the left internal subclavian vein and the right
jugular vein with the left internal jugular vein.
subclavian vein
Besides gathering interstitial fluid as
lymph and returning it to the blood, the
lymphatic vascular system is a major
distributor of lymphocytes, antibodies,
and other immune components which are
carried through many organs to and
from lymph nodes and other lymphoid
tissues.
BLOOD
Is a special type of fluid connective
tissue derived from mesoderm
Constituent Function
Diameter = 7 – 8 μm
Size
Thickness = 2.5 μm
The process begins with stem cells in the bone marrow. These stem cells are like
the body's building blocks and can turn into different types of blood cells,
including red blood cells.
BONE MARROW
Bone marrow is found in the medullary canals of long bones and in the
small cavities of cancellous bone, with two types based on their
appearance at gross examination:
Bilobed nucleus
1. MYELOMONOBLAST
It is the larger cell, similar to
myeloblast
A young monocyte
Nucleus- larger, one kidney shaped
nucleoli, loose network of nuclear
chromatin
Cytoplasm- basophilic, no azurophilic
granules, fine granules that are larger
than mature monocytes
3. MONOCYTES
Nucleus is U or kidney shaped
Pale blue cytoplasm
3-8%of total WBC
Phagocyte
Develop into macrophages when
they migrate to connective tissue
4. MACROPHAGES
Monocytes turn to macrophages
when they migrate to connective
tissue
Cytoplasm- gray-blue and displays
ragged edges, vacuoles common
Nucleus- purplish with finer clumped
chromatin, and is sometimes pushed
to the side due to ingested material
within the cytoplasm
STAGES OF LYMPHOPOIESIS
1. LYMPHOBLAST
Cytoplasm- Blue/scanty, no
granules
Nucleus- Purple, smooth
chromatin, round, central or
eccentric
1-2 nucleoli
2. PROLYMPHOCYTE
multiple lobes
STAGES IN PLATELET PRODUCTION
3. MEGAKARYOCYTE
Large & multilobed
cytoplasm is abundant, light
blue in color and contains red-
purple granules