The Circulatory System

The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system, consists of a vast network of blood vessels and organs that is responsible for the flow of blood, transporting nutrients, hormones, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases throughout the body. The circulatory system is crucial to the human body as without it, the body would not be able to fight disease or maintain homeostasis.

Courtesy of Mayo Clinic

How Does It Work?

There are four major components of the circulatory system.

• Heart: The constant pumping and pressure of the heart and its valves keeps the circulatory system working at all times. The circulatory system is powered by the heart.
• Veins: Veins carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs where the blood receives oxygen.
• Arteries: Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to all the different organs throughout the body.
• Blood: Blood is the transport medium by which nearly everything is transported from one place in the body to another. Hormones, nutrients, oxygen, antibodies, blood cells, and gases are all possible essentials that can be transported via the bloodstream.

There are also different types of circulation in the circulatory system that occur regularly in the body:

• Pulmonary circulation: carries deoxygenated blood to lungs and back to heart
• Systemic circulation: carries oxygenated blood away from the heart and to other parts of the body
• Coronary circulation: provides the heart with oxygenated blood

The Heart’s Role in the Circulatory System

The heart is the center of the circulatory system. Without the heart, your circulatory system would not be able to function and your body will not be able to function. Therefore, any diseases in the heart will affect the entire circulatory system and cause your health to severely deteriorate.