Chapter II - Cardiovascular System

Circulatory System
The circulatory system or cardiovascular system is the organ system, which circulates blood around the body of
most animals.
It consists of Heart - Aorta - Arteries - Arterioles - Capillaries - Venules - Veins - Venae cavae - Pulmonary arteries
- Lungs - Pulmonary veins - Blood
AORTA
The largest artery in the human body, the aorta originates from the left ventricle of the heart and brings
oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation.
The course of the aorta
The aorta is usually divided into several segments. The portion above the diaphragm (in the thorax) is called the
thoracic aorta and is sometimes further subdivided into the ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending (thoracic)
aorta. The portion below the diaphragm (in the abdomen) is known as the abdominal aorta.
Thoracic aorta
The initial part of the aorta, the ascending aorta, rises out of the left ventricle, from which it is separated by the
aortic valve. The two coronary arteries of the heart arise from the aortic root, just above the cusps of the aortic
valve.
The aorta then arches back over the right pulmonary artery. Three vessels come out of the aortic arch,
Brachiocephalic artery,
Left common carotid artery, and
Left subclavian artery.
These vessels supply blood to the head, neck, thorax and upper limbs.
The aorta gives off several paired branches as it descends in the thorax. These includes the
Bronchial arteries,
Esophageal arteries and
Intercostal arteries.

ABDOMINAL AORTA
The abdominal aorta travels down the posterior wall of the abdomen, the abdominal aorta runs on the left of the
inferior vena cava, giving off major blood vessels to the gut organs and kidneys. There are many recognized
variants in the vasculature of the gastrointestinal system. The most common arrangement for the abdominal aorta
is to give off (in order) a
Celiac artery,
Superior mesenteric artery and
Inferior mesenteric artery.
The renal arteries usually branch from the abdominal aorta in between the celiac artery and the superior
mesenteric artery.
The aorta terminates by dividing into two branches, the left and right common iliac arteries that branch to supply
blood to the lower limbs and the pelvis.
Features
The aorta is an elastic artery, and as such is quite distensible. When the left ventricle contracts to force blood into
the aorta, the aorta expands. This stretching gives the potential energy that will help maintain blood pressure
during diastole, as during this time the aorta contracts passively.

Diseases
Aneurysm of sinus of Valsalva
Aortic aneurysm
Dissecting aortic aneurysm
Aortic coarctation
Marfans syndrome
Inborn cardiovascular defects
ARTERY
Arteries are muscular vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the tissues and organs of the body (The
vessels which return blood to the heart are veins).
The circulatory system is extremely important in sustaining life. Its proper functioning is responsible for the
delivery of oxygen and nutrients to all cells, as well as the removal of carbon dioxide, waste products, maintenance
of optimum pH, and the mobility of the elements, proteins and cells, of the immune system. In First World
countries the two leading causes of death, myocardial infarction and stroke, are each direct results of an arterial
system that has been slowly and progressively compromised by years of deterioration.
Description
The arterial system is the higher-pressure portion of the circulatory system. Arterial pressure varies between the
peak pressure during heart contraction, called the systolic pressure, and the minimum, or diastolic pressure
between contractions, when the heart rests between cycles. This pressure variation within the artery produces the
pulse which is observable in any artery, and reflects heart activity.
Anatomy
Arteries are composed of distinct layers of tissue; The innermost layer, which is in direct contact with the flow of
blood is the tunica intima, commonly called the intima. This layer is made up of mainly endothelial cells. Outside
this layer is the tunica media, or media, which is made up of smooth muscle cells and elastic tissue. The outermost
layer is known as the tunica adventitia or the adventitia, and is composed of connective tissue.
Types of arteries:
There are several types of arteries in the body:
Pulmonary arteries
The pulmonary arteries carry oxygen deficient blood that has just returned from the body to the lungs, where
carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen.
Systemic arteries
Systemic arteries deliver blood to the arterioles, and then to the capillaries, where nutrients and gasses are
exchanged.
The Aorta
The aorta is the root systemic artery. It receives blood directly from the left ventricle of the heart via the aortic
valve. As the aorta branches and these arteries branch in turn, they become successively smaller in diameter,
successively down to the arteriole. The arterioles supply capillaries, which in turn empty into venules.
ARTERIOLES
Arterioles, the smallest of the true arteries, help regulate blood pressure and deliver blood to capillaries.
Arterioles and Blood Pressure
Arterioles have the greatest collective influence on both local blood flow and on overall blood pressure. They are
the primary "adjustable nozzles" in the blood system, across which the greatest pressure drop occurs. The
combination of heart output (cardiac output) and total peripheral resistance, which refers to the collective
resistance of all of the body's arterioles, are the principal determinants of arterial blood pressure at any given
moment.

Capillaries
Though not considered true arteries, the capillaries are where all of the important action happens in the circulatory
system:
Functions of capillaries
These vessels have no smooth muscle surrounding them and have a diameter less than that of a red blood cell; a
red blood cell is typically 7 micrometers outside diameter, capillaries typically 5 micrometers inside diameter. The
red blood cells must distort in order to pass through the capillaries.
This small diameter of the capillary provides a relatively large surface area for the exchange of gases and nutrients.
What are the functions of capillaries:
In the lungs, carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen
In the tissues, oxygen and carbon dioxide and nutrients and wastes are exchanged
In the kidneys, wastes are released to be eliminated from the body
In the intestine nutrients are picked up, and wastes released