TRANSPORT IN ANIMALS-1

Dr. NEENA SINGLA

The circulatory system transports blood to deliver important substances such as nutrients, oxygen to cells
and to remove wastes, such as carbon dioxide, urea.

It is made up of

 a pump, the heart

 system of interconnecting tubes, blood vessels.

 Blood always remain within vessels, so system is called closed blood system, also called double

circulatory system.

 Arteries, vessels carrying blood away from the heart.

 Veins, carry blood towards the heart.

 Capillaries, lining arteries and veins; taking blood close to almost every cell in the body.

 Heart beats > 100000 times/day and force blood to cover more than 80,000 Km of arteries/veins/capillaries.
What is blood?

Blood, by definition, is a fluid that moves through the vessels of a circulatory

system. In humans, it includes plasma (the liquid portion), blood cells (RBC &
WBC), and cell fragments called platelets.

 Plasma is the main component of blood and consists mostly of water, with
proteins, ions, nutrients, and wastes mixed in.

 Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide.

 Platelets are responsible for blood clotting.

 White blood cells are part of the immune system and function in immune
response.
 The Heart
 

• The heart is a muscular organ that is about as large as your fist

and is located at the center of your chest.

• The heart performs two pumping functions at the same time.

• The heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body, and it pumps

deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
•The heart is made of muscle cells that need their own supply of blood to
deliver oxygen, glucose and other nutrients and remove carbon dioxide and
other waste products
•The blood is supplied by the coronary arteries.

•If a coronary artery becomes partially or completely blocked by fatty

deposits called ‘plaques’ (mainly formed from cholesterol), the arteries are
not as elastic as they should be and therefore cannot stretch to accommodate
the blood which is being forced through them – leading to coronary heart
disease (CHD).

•Partial blockage of the coronary arteries creates a restricted blood flow to

the cardiac muscle cells and results in severe chest pains called angina.
•Complete blockage means cells in that area of the heart will not be able to
respire and can no longer contract, leading to a heart attack.