Human

Circulatory
System
BIOLOGY

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Human Circulatory System

 The biological term for the heart is ‘Cardio’.

 The male heart weighs 300 gms approximately, and the female heart 250 gms.

 The major function of the heart is pumping of blood/circulation of blood through the
body.

 It is a pumping organ works in a rhythmic cyclic manner with a systole (shrinkage

for .3sec) and a diastole (expansion for .5 sec).

 A heartbeat lasts for 0.8 seconds and consists of both of these.

 The heartbeat of a normal human being is 72 beats/minute.

Anatomy of Heart

Internal structure of Heart

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Chambers
 The human heart has four chambers.

 The myocardium is the muscular substance of heart; the middle of the three layers
forming the outer wall of the human heart.

 The covering of the heart is a membrane called Pericardium, which protects the
heart.

 There are two upper chambers (anterior) in the heart, the right, and the left atrium.

 There are two lower chambers (posterior) in the heart, the right, and the left
ventricle.

 Interventricular Septum is the stout wall separating the lower chambers (the
ventricles) of the heart from one another

Valves
 Cardiac Valves (Heart Valves) are any of the heart valves that work together to
regulate the flow of blood through the chambers of the heart.

 There is a tricuspid valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle.

 There is a bicuspid valve between the left atrium and left ventricle.

 The opening of right and left ventricle to pulmonary artery and aorta respectively is
controlled by semilunar valve.

Nodes

 The nodal tissue present on upper right corner of right atrium is called SAN (sino-
atrial node) and those on lower left corner of right atrium is called AVN ( atrio-
ventricular node).

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Vein
 Veins are the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart in an even flow.

 They have thin walls, large lumens, and valves.

 Veins contain impure blood i.e. carbon dioxide mixed blood.

 The pulmonary vein is an exception as it always carries pureblood.

 The pulmonary veins carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart, which
then flows through the body.

 Vena Cava is a large vein which returns blood from the head, neck, and
extremities to the heart.

 Superior Vena Cava is a large vein that carries blood from the head, neck, arms,
and chest to the heart.

Artery

 The artery is the vessel that carries blood from the heart towards the body.

 Artery contains pure blood i.e. oxygen mixed blood.

 The pulmonary arteries are an exception, as they always carry impure blood or
deoxygenated blood.

 Aorta is the largest artery present in the body. It carries oxygen-rich blood away
from the heart to vessels which reaches the rest of the body.

 The artery carrying blood to the muscles of the heart is called the coronary
arteries. Any type of hindrance in it can cause a heart attack.

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Points to Remember
 The purkinje fibres along with right and left bundles form the bundle of HIS. The nodal
musculature has ability to generate action potential.

 SAN generate maximum number of action potential and is responsible for rhythmic
contraction of heart. Therefore it is called pace maker.

Cardiac Cycle

 To begin with, all four chambers are in a relaxed state called joint diastole. As the
bicuspid and tricuspid valves are open, blood from the pulmonary vein and vena
cava flow to left and right ventricle respectively. Semilunar valves are closed at this
stage.

 SA node generates action potential that contracts both the atria (atrial systole). The
action potential passes to AV node and bundle of HIS transmit it to ventricular mus-
culature which causes ventricular systole. At the same time, atria undergo relaxa-
tion diastole to close the bicuspid and tricuspid valve.

 Semilunar valves open into the circulatory system that relaxes the ventricle and
close the valves to prevent backflow of blood.

 As the pressure inside the ventricle decreases the bicuspid and tricuspid valve
open to repeat the process or cardiac cycle.

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Blood Circulation System

 Lungs are a pair of organs in the chest, which supplies the body with oxygen and
removes carbon dioxide from the body.

 Capillaries are the smallest of the blood vessels in the body.

 Oxygen and glucose pass through capillary walls and enter the cells.

 Waste products such as carbon dioxide pass back from the cells into the blood
through capillaries.

 The endothelium is the innermost layer of blood vessels that consists of just a
single layer of cells

Double Circulation System

The flow of same blood twice through the heart once in oxygenated form and other in
deoxygenated form is known as double circulation. It includes both systematic and
pulmonary circulation.

Systematic Circulation

 Systematic circulation includes the flow of oxygenated blood from the left ventricle
to all parts of the body and deoxygenated blood from various body parts to the right
atrium.

 All systematic circulation starts form aorta and ends at superior vena cava, inferior
vena cava or coronary sinus to right atrium.

 The systematic circulation provides oxygen, nutrients, and other substances to the
tissues and take CO2 and other harmful substances away for removal.

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Pulmonary Circulation

 Pulmonary Circulation means circulation of the blood through the lungs.

 The human heart can pump 70ml of blood in one cycle.

 Impure blood is present in the right heart chamber i.e. blood mixed with carbon
dioxide.

 Pureblood is present in the left heart chamber i.e. oxygen mixed blood.

 Pulmonary Artery and its branches deliver blood rich in carbon dioxide (and
lacking in oxygen) to the capillaries that surround the air sacs.

 Pulmonary Veins return the oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of
the heart.

Pulmonary Circulation

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Electrocardiograph

 ECG (Electrocardiograph) is a graphical representation of the electrical activity of

heart during a cardiac cycle. The electrocardiograph machine is used to obtain an
electrocardiogram. The patient is connected to three electrical leads to wrists and
left ankle.

 The P-wave represents the electrical excitation of atria (depolarisation) which leads
to a contraction of atria.

 The QRS-wave represents the depolarization of ventricles, which initiates the

ventricular contraction.

 The T-wave represents the return of the ventricle from exited to a normal state
(repolarization). The end of T-wave marks the end of the systole. Counting the
number of QRS complex in a given period of time determines the heartbeat rate.

Diagrammatic Representation of Electrocardiogram

Heart Sound
 During each cardiac cycle, two sounds are produced. The first sound (lub) is due
to closure of bicuspid and tricuspid valve and 2nd heart sound (dub) is due to
closure of the semilunar valve.

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