CIRCULATORY

SYSTEM
The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system, is the system
responsible for transporting blood, nutrients, gases, and other molecules throughout the body.
Vertebrates have a closed circulatory system, which means that blood remains within blood
vessels and does not directly interact with body tissues. Many invertebrates have an open
circulatory system, where blood (also known as hemolymph) bathes the cells and organs directly.

 OPEN CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

The blood bathes the organs and tissues directly through hemocoel. Because of this,
the BLOOD and the INTERSTITIAL FLUID have no distinction. Thus, the
term HEMOLYMPH is used. The hemolymph is pumped by the heart through
the CAVITIES into the sinuses and then to the surrounding cells where exchange of materials
occur. The hemolymph is taken back to the heart through the OSTIA that close via the valves
during heart contraction.

 Interstitial fluid- thin layer of fluid which surrounds the body’s cells. Interstitial fluid
has become useful in the monitoring of glucose levels in people with diabetes.
 Ostia- opening in cavities

 CLOSED CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Closed circulatory systems have the blood closed at all times within vessels of different
size and wall thickness. In this type of system, blood is pumped by a heart through vessels, and
does not normally fill body cavities. Humans have this kind of circulatory system.

IMPORTANCE OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

The human body is composed of several organ systems with different functions.
However, in order to sustain each of these organ systems, the body needs a circulatory system
that allows every cell, whether present on the surface of the organism or embedded deep within,
to derive sustenance, be protected from pathogens, to communicate with other cells and to exist
in a relatively constant microenvironment. The circulatory system helps to fight off disease,
helps the body maintain a normal body temperature, and provides the right chemical balance to
provide the body’s homeostasis, or state of balance among all its systems.

FUNCTIONS OF THE HUMAN CIRCULATORY

SYSTEM
 Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Transport- Supplying oxygen to the body is the most
essential function of the cardiovascular system. Although all cells require oxygen, brain cells
are the most sensitive and begin to die in as little as 3 minutes if deprived of oxygen. During
inhalation, air enters the lungs and oxygen is absorbed through the air sacs into the
bloodstream. This oxygen-rich blood is pumped through the heart into the arterial circulation.
 In the capillaries, oxygen diffuses out of the blood and into the cells of the body's organs and
tissues. At the same time, carbon dioxide -- a waste product produced by cells -- is absorbed
into the blood and transported to the lungs through the venous circulation. When this oxygen-
poor blood reaches the lungs, carbon dioxide diffuses through the air sacs and is then
exhaled. This cycle occurs with every breath.

a) As we breathe, oxygen enters the lungs and is absorbed into the blood stream.
b) The heart pumps this oxygenated blood to the working muscles, so that the muscles can
produce movement.
c) As the muscles use the oxygen up, carbon dioxide is produced and absorbed into the blood.
d) And this de-oxygenated blood is pumped back to the heart then on to the lungs.
e) The lungs get rid of this carbon dioxide, and breathe in more oxygen.
 Nutrient, Hormones and Waste Product Transport- Delivering nutrients to the body is
another critical function of the cardiovascular system. After food is digested in the stomach
and intestines, its component nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. These nutrients
include sugars, fats, vitamins, minerals and protein building blocks called amino acids. Each
of these nutrients is vital to healthy body function. For example, the sugar glucose is the
body's primary fuel to generate energy, and amino acids enable the body to manufacture
new cells. Like oxygen, nutrients diffuse from the bloodstream into body cells via the
capillaries. In addition to carbon dioxide, the circulatory system picks up metabolic waste
products and toxins and transports them to the liver, kidneys and lungs for eventual
elimination from the body. Hormones are chemical messengers produced by endocrine
glands that affect distant organs. The cardiovascular system serves as the transportation
connection between the endocrine glands and the organs or tissues they control via
hormones. For example, hormones produced in the pituitary gland in the brain control other
endocrine glands -- such as the thyroid, ovaries and testes -- as well as directing childhood
growth. Similarly, the blood-sugar-lowering hormone insulin produced in the pancreas
affects the uptake and use of blood sugar throughout the body. And thyroid hormones affect
the metabolic rate of virtually every body organ and tissue, thanks to their body-wide
delivery via the circulatory system.

a) The cardiovascular system acts as an internal road network, linking all parts of the body via
a system of highways (arteries and veins), main roads (arterioles and venules) and streets,
avenues and lanes (capillaries).
b) This network allows a non-stop courier system (the blood) to deliver and expel nutrients,
gases, waste products and messages throughout the body.
c) Nutrients such as glucose from digested carbohydrate are delivered from the digestive tract
to the muscles and organs that require them for energy.
d) Hormones (chemical messengers) from endocrine glands are transported by the
cardiovascular system to their target organs, and waste products are transported to the lungs
or urinary system to be expelled from the body.
e) The cardiovascular system works in conjunction with the respiratory system to deliver
oxygen to the tissues of the body and remove carbon dioxide. In order to do this effectively
the cardiovascular system is divided into two circuits, known as the pulmonary circuit and
the systemic circuit.
 f) The pulmonary circuit is made up of the heart, lungs, pulmonary veins and pulmonary
arteries. This circuit pumps deoxygenated (blue) blood from the heart to the lungs where it
becomes oxygenated (red) and returns to the heart.
g) The systemic circuit is made up of the heart and all the remaining arteries, arterioles,
capillaries, venules, and veins in the body.
h) This circuit pumps oxygenated (red) blood from the heart to all the tissues, muscles and
organs in the body, to provide them with the nutrients and gases they need in order to
function.
i) After the oxygen has been delivered the systemic circuit picks up the carbon dioxide and
returns this in the now deoxygenated (blue) blood, to the lungs, where it enters the
pulmonary circuit to become oxygenated again.
 Disease Protection and Healing- The circulatory system serves as the highway for disease-
fighting cells and proteins, and messengers of the immune system. Immune system cells
called white blood cells patrol the body in search of invading germs. If an infection occurs,
these cells send chemical alarm signals that travel through the bloodstream, which
subsequently transports infection-fighting cells to the site of the infection. The circulatory
system also carries chemical messengers that attract cells to heal tissues that have been
damaged due to injury or disease.
a) Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen around the body to the tissues and
organs that need it.
b) As oxygen enters the blood stream through the alveoli of the lungs it binds to a special
protein in the red blood cells called haemoglobin. This can be seen in the adjacent image.
c) The job of white blood cells is to detect foreign bodies or infections and envelop and kill
them, as seen in the below image.
d) When they detect and kill an infection they create antibodies for that particular infection
which enables the immune system to act more quickly against foreign bodies or infections it
has come into contact with previously.
e) Platelets are cells which are responsible for clotting the blood, they stick to foreign particles
or objects such as the edges of a cut.
f) Platelets connect to fibrinogen (a protein which is released in the site of the cut) producing a
clump that blocks the hole in the broken blood vessel. On an external wound this would
become a scab.
g) If the body has a low level of platelets then clotting may not occur and bleeding can continue.
Excessive blood loss can be fatal – this is why people with a condition known as haemophilia
(low levels or absence of platelets) need medication otherwise even minor cuts can become
fatal as bleeding continues without a scab being formed.
h) Alternatively, if platelet levels are excessively high then clotting within blood vessels can
occur, leading to a stroke and or heart attack. This is why people with a history of cardiac
problems are often prescribed medication to keep their blood thin to minimise the risk of
clotting within their blood vessels.
i) The core temperature range for a healthy adult is considered to be between 36.1°C and
37.8°C, with 37°C regarded as the average ‘normal’ temperature.
j) If the core temperature drops below this range it is known as hypothermia and if it rises
above this range it is known as hyperthermia.
k) As temperatures move further into hypo or hyperthermia they become life threatening.
Because of this the body works continuously to maintain its core temperature within the
healthy range.
l) This process of temperature regulation in known as thermoregulation and the cardiovascular
system plays an integral part.
m) Temperature changes within the body are detected by sensory receptors called
thermoreceptors, which in turn relay information about these changes to the hypothalamus in
the brain.
 Body Temperature Regulation- Body temperature regulation is an often overlooked but
important function of the cardiovascular system. Optimal function of the human body occurs
within a relatively narrow temperature range, which is tightly regulated. If body temperature
begins to rise, blood vessels close to the body surface dilate, increasing in size. This allows
the body to rid itself excess heat through the skin. Conversely, if body temperature drops,
surface blood vessels constrict to conserve body heat. The cardiovascular system works in
concert with the body's sweating mechanism as the primary regulators of body temperature.
a) Sweat glands: These glands are instructed to secrete sweat onto the surface of the skin when
either the blood or skin temperature is detected to be above a normal safe temperature. This
allows heat to be lost through evaporation and cools the skin so blood that has been sent to
the skin can in turn be cooled.
b) Smooth muscle around arterioles: Increases in temperature result in the smooth muscle in
the walls of arterioles being stimulated to relax causing vasodilation (increase in diameter of
the vessel).
c) This in turn increases the volume of blood flow to the skin, allowing cooling to occur. We
see this is in the adjacent diagram where blood that is normally concentrated around the core
organs is shunted to the skin to cool when the body is under heat stress.
d) If however the thermoreceptors detect a cooling of the blood or skin then the hypothalamus
reacts by sending a message to the smooth muscle of the arteriole walls causing the arterioles
to vasoconstrict (reduce their diameter), thus reducing the blood flow to the skin and
therefore helping to maintain core body temperature.
e) c. Skeletal muscle: When a drop in blood temperature is recorded the hypothalamus can
also react by causing skeletal muscles to start shivering. Shivering is actually lots of very
fast, small muscular contractions which produce heat to help warm the blood
f) d. Endocrine glands: The hypothalamus may trigger the release of hormones such as
thyroxin, adrenalin and noradrenalin in response to drops in blood temperature. These
hormones all contribute to increasing the bodies metabolic rate (rate at which the body burns
fuel) and therefore increasing the production of heat.
 Maintaining fluid balance within the body
a. Cardiovascular system works in conjunction with other body systems (nervous and
endocrine) to balance the body’s fluid levels. Fluid balance is essential in order to ensure
sufficient and efficient movement of electrolytes, nutrients and gases through the body’s
cells.
b. When the fluid levels in the body do not balance a state of dehydration or hyperhydration can
occur, both of which impede normal body function and if left unchecked can become
dangerous or even fatal.
c. Dehydration is the excessive loss of body fluid, usually accompanied by an excessive loss of
electrolytes.
d. The symptoms of dehydration include; headaches, cramps, dizziness, fainting and raised
blood pressure (blood becomes thicker as its volume decreases requiring more force to pump
it around the body).
e. Hyperhydration on the other hand results from an excessive intake of water which pushes the
normal balance of electrolytes outside of their safe limits. This can occur through long bouts
of intensive exercise where electrolytes are not replenished and excessive amounts of water
are consumed.
f. This can result in the recently consumed fluid rushing into the body’s cells, causing tissues to
swell. If this swelling occurs in the brain it can put excessive pressure on the brain stem that
may result in seizures, brain damage, coma or even death.
g. Dehydration or a loss of body fluid (through sweat, urination, bleeding etc) results in an
increase in ‘blood tonicity’ (the concentration of substances within the blood) and a decrease
in blood volume. Where as hyperhydration or a gain in body fluid (intake of water) usually
results in a reduction of blood tonicity and an increase in blood volume.
h. kidney and bladder diagramAny change in blood tonicity and volume is detected by the
kidneys and osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus.
i. Dehydration or a loss of body fluid (through sweat, urination, bleeding etc) results in an
increase in ‘blood tonicity’ (the concentration of substances within the blood) and a decrease
in blood volume. Where as hyperhydration or a gain in body fluid (intake of water) usually
results in a reduction of blood tonicity and an increase in blood volume.
j. kidney and bladder diagramAny change in blood tonicity and volume is detected by the
kidneys and osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus.
k. Osmoreceptors are specialist receptors that detect changes in the dilution of the blood.
Essentially they detect if we are hydrated (diluted blood) or dehydrated (less diluted blood).
l. In response hormones are released and transported by the cardiovascular system (through the
blood) to act on target tissues such as the kidneys to increase or decrease urine production.
Another way the cardiovascular system maintains fluid balance is by either dilating
(widening) or constricting (tightening) blood vessels to increase or decrease the amount of
fluid that can be lost through sweat.

FOUR MAJOR PARTS OF THE CIRCULATORY

SYSTEM
 The Heart: About the size of two adult hands held together, the heart rests near the center of
the chest. Thanks to consistent pumping, the heart keeps the circulatory system working at all
times.
 Arteries: Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart and where it needs to go.
 Veins: Veins carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs where they receive oxygen.
 Blood: Blood is the transport media of nearly everything within the body. It transports
hormones, nutrients, oxygen, antibodies, and other important things needed to keep the body
healthy.

HOW CIRCULATORY SYSTEM WORKS

a. The blood becomes oxygen-rich by absorbing oxygen in the lungs.
b. The function of the heart starts when oxygenated blood is carried from the lungs to the
LEFT ATRIUM of the heart by means of the PULMONARY VEINS.
c. The left atrium relaxes this blood is pump into the heart. When the left atrium contracts, the
left ventricle relaxes simultaneously . The LEFT ATRIUM pushes the blood into the LEFT
VENTRICLE through the mitral valve.
d. When the left ventricle contracts, the blood is pumped into the AORTA which carries
oxygenated blood to the different parts of the body except the lungs.
e. Oxygenated blood reaches the different parts of the body through the blood vessels called the
ARTERIES. The arteries get branched into the CAPPILLARIES which then reaches to the
different organs of the body
f. The blood end becomes deoxygenated and the blood capillaries get mixed and form thicker
blood vessels called THE VEINS. The veins carry deoxygenated blood to the heart. The
blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood to the heart are known as the VENA CAVA.
g. The deoxygenated blood from the different parts of the body enters the upper right chamber
of the heart which is called the RIGHT ATRIUM. The right atrium gets contracted allowing
the blood to flow into the RIGHT VENTRICLE which contracts with the expansion of the
right atrium through the tricuspid valve
h. The RIGHT VENTRICLE then contracts pushing the blood into the pulmonary artery.
The pulmonary artery carries the deoxygenated blood to the LUNGS for oxygenation. The
LUNGS oxygenate the blood by exchanging of gases and flows back into the heart through
the pulmonary vein and start the circulatory cycle all over again.

THREE TYPES OF BLOOD CIRCULATION

 Pulmonary circulation: This part of the cycle carries oxygen-depleted blood away from the
heart, to the lungs, and back to the heart.
1. DeO2 blood leaves the Right Atrium through
the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle
2. Right ventricle contracts send DeO2 through
pulmonary valve into the pulmonary arteries
3. DeO2 blood goes to the lungs, gas exchange
occurs and O2 blood returns to the left side
of the heart through pulmonary veins

 Systemic circulation: This is the part that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart and
to other parts of the body.

1. Oxygenated blood leaves the left atrium

and travels through the mitral valve into the
left ventricle
2. Left ventricle contracts sending oxygenated
blood through the aortic valve into the aorta
 3. Oxygenated blood travels to cells of body, gas exchange occurs and deoxygenated blood
travels back to heart through superior or inferior vena cava

 Coronary circulation: This type of circulation provides the heart with oxygenated blood so it
can function properly.
1. Blood enters right atrium from superior and inferior venae caveae.
2. Blood in the right atrium flows
through right
atrioventricular(AV) valve into
right ventricle.
3. Contraction of the right ventricle
forces pulmonary valve open.
4. Blood flows through pulmonary
valve into pulmonary trunk.
5. Blood is distributed by right and
left pulmonary arteries to the
lungs, where it unloads co2(carbon dioxide) and loads o2(oxygen).

4 WAYS TO KEEP OUR CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

HEALTHY
Engage in Physical Activity
 Exercise of 30 minutes or more, most days of the week is advised to improve the health
of your heart and circulatory system. Physical activity can help manage your weight and
reduce your risk of developing other conditions that make your circulatory system work
harder, like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Exercise is even effective
when broken down into shorter sessions.
Quit Smoking and Tobacco Use
 Smoking and using tobacco products significantly increases your risk for heart disease.
Damage to your heart and circulatory system by the chemical compounds in tobacco can
cause atherosclerosis, which may lead to heart attack. Once you quit smoking, your risk
of heart disease significantly decreases over the next year, according to the MayoClinic
website. Regardless of how long you have smoked or used other tobacco products, you
will notice the benefits of quitting as soon as you do.
Eat High Quality Foods
 Your food intake can significantly improve the health of your circulatory system and
heart. Diets containing five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-
fat dairy products are most beneficial to the circulatory system. Avoiding processed
foods, foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, and excessive alcohol consumption
can also improve your circulatory system health.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
 Managing a healthy weight plays a major role in the health of your circulatory system.
Being overweight can increase risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol,
all of which put you at increased risk for heart attack and other circulation problems. By
 just losing 10 percent of your body weight, you can significantly increase the odds of not
developing these chronic diseases.
HEALTHY FOODS FOR THE CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM
Blackberries are known to promote new blood cell formation and purify the blood. They are
high in nutrients, including phenolic compounds with an antioxidant capacity significantly higher
than vitamins C or E. Add them to breakfast cereals or mix them in yogurts for a tasty snack.

Cayenne pepper is a great way to increase blood circulation and metabolic rate. It will also help
strengthen arteries and blood vessels, and can prevent toe numbness and poor circulation in feet.
Cayenne pepper helps tackle inflammation, and because spicy foods are rich in vitamins A and
C, it is most effective in getting the blood flowing. They can also be used in juices or salads.

Fish such as salmon and herring can benefit the heart as they contain omega 3 fats, a nutrient
that is very good for improving blood circulation.

Ginger simulates the blood flow to all organs; it also boosts a sluggish immune systemand clears
congestion. It can be found in a tincture form, in herbal tea and can be simply added to food
when cooking.

Garlic is a natural blood thinner. It is fantastic for increasing blood circulation in feet/hands, and
will also clear up clogged arteries if eaten raw daily, in moderation.

Gingko Biloba is a fresh herb tincture, made from the leaves of the amazing Ginkgo tree, also
known as Memory Tree. Ginkgo is thought to stabilise the blood vessels allowing the blood to
flow more smoothly. It improves poor circulation in hands and feet, and increases blood flow to
the brain.

Oranges contain high levels of vitamin C and bioflavonoids in oranges help the flow of blood
through the body by strengthening the capillary walls.

Pumpkin seeds are a food source of vitamin E, which is proven to keep blood flowing freely and
preventing blood clots.

Nuts contain niacin, or vitamin B3 which essentially gives our blood a boost and therefore can
prevent circulation problems.

Watermelons are rich in lycopene which can help prevent a build-up of plaque (the substance
that can interfere with blood flow in the arteries). Lycopene can aid healthy blood circulation.

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