The Circulatory system: Circuits

The two types of circuits in the circulatory system.

The Pulmonary Circuit:

The Pulmonary circuit is the path of circulation between the heart and lungs. This circuit is what
the lungs use to pump oxygen into the blood and around the body. Blood that has run out of
oxygen returns to the right atrium of the heart by two large veins known as vena cavae. The
heart then contracts causing the blood to enter the right ventricle. The next heartbeat sends
the blood into the lungs via the Pulmonary Artery. In the lungs Carbon Dioxide is exchanged by
the Alveoli into Oxygen. The pulmonary arteries then transfer the oxygenated blood back to the
heart and the Pulmonary Circuit is completed when the blood is pumped out of the left atrium
and is sent through the body.

The System Circuit:

The path of Circulation between the Heart and the rest of the body (except the lungs). After the
pulmonary circuit the blood leaves the heart through the aorta(largest artery in the body). The
blood is then circulated by the Aorta throughout the body and the major and minor organs.

The Circulatory System: Types of circulatory system

The two types of circulatory system

Closed circulatory system:

Found in all vertebrates(animals with bones) and a few Invertebrates(animals without bones)
Closed circulatory systems have the blood closed at all times within vessels (Arteries, veins,
etc.) of different sizes and wall thickness.
In this type of system blood is pumped by a heart through vessels and normally does not fill
body cavities(empty space between the organs).

Open circulatory system:

Is common to to molluscs(clams, shells, oysters) and arthropods(crabs, shrimp, insects,).
It evolved in Invertebrates.
An open system pumps blood into a hemocoel(primary body cavity of Invertebrates) with the
blood then spreading to the circulatory system between cells.
Blood is pumped by the heart into body cavities which have tissues that are then surrounded by
the blood.