The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, blood vessels, and the approximately 5 liters of blood

that the blood vessels transport. Responsible for transporting oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and cellular
waste products throughout the body, the cardiovascular system is powered by the body’s hardest-
working organ — the heart.

Functions of Cardio Vascular

- Delivers oxygen & Nutrients to tissues

- Equalizes temperature in the body
- Delivers oxygen, nutrients, hormones & others via blood as a carrier
- Picks up waste such as carbon dioxide
- White Blood Cells helps fight bacteria, viruses & tumor cells
- Propels blood out of its chamber

The heart
The adult human heart is normally slightly larger than a clenched fist, with average dimensions of about
13 × 9 × 6 cm (5 × 3.5 × 2.5 inches) and weight approximately 10.5 ounces (300 grams). It is cone-
shaped, with the broad base directed upward and to the right and the apex pointing downward and to
the left. It is located in the chest (thoracic) cavity behind the breastbone (sternum), in front of the
windpipe (trachea), the esophagus, and the descending aorta, between the lungs, and above the
diaphragm (the muscular partition between the chest and abdominal cavities). About two-thirds of the
heart lies to the left of the midline.

Chambers of the heart

The heart has four chambers: two atria and two

ventricles.

The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood from the body and
pumps it to the right ventricle.
The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-poor blood to the lungs.
The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and
pumps it to the left ventricle.
The left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood to the body.
Blood Vessels
There are three kinds of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries. Each of these plays a very specific
role in the circulation process.

- Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart.

- Capillaries connect the arteries to veins.
- Veins carry the blood back to the heart.

Blood
The average human body contains about 4 to 5 liters of blood. As a liquid connective tissue, it
transports many substances through the body and helps to maintain homeostasis of nutrients,
wastes, and gases. Blood is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and liquid
plasma. There are 4 main blood groups (types of blood) – A, B, AB and O.

PULMONARY CIRCULATION

Pulmonary circulation is a system of blood vessels that forms a closed circuit between the heart
and the lungs. It moves blood between the heart and the lungs. It transports deoxygenated
blood to the lungs to absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The oxygenated blood then
flows back to the heart.

On the evolutionary cycle, pulmonary circulation first occurs in lungfishes and amphibians, the
first animals to acquire a three-chambered heart. The pulmonary circulation becomes totally
separate in crocodilians, birds, and mammals, when the ventricle is divided into two chambers,
producing a four-chambered heart.

They are designed to perform certain specific functions that are unique to the pulmonary
circulation, such as ventilation and gas exchange. The pulmonary circulation receives the
entirety of the cardiac output from the right heart and is a low pressure, low resistance system
due to its parallel capillary circulation. The system can be divided into the following
components:
- The arterial circuit arises from the main pulmonary artery arising from the right ventricle
and runs a course of only 5 cm before dividing into right and left main branches and
many subsequent branches to form an extensive network of small arteries, arterioles,
and capillaries. The pulmonary arteries are thinner (one-third the thickness of their
counterpart systemic vessels) and have a larger diameter. The combined effect makes
them much more distensible and compliant (approximately 7mL/mmHg).

- The venous circuit begins with the venules that drain the capillaries. They join to form
smaller veins and eventually merge to form the main pulmonary veins draining into the
left atrium. Like the arteries, the pulmonary veins are thinner and more distensible than
the counterpart systemic veins and accommodate more blood because of their larger
compliance.

- Lymphatics play a crucial role in maintaining a dry alveolar membrane and preventing

accumulation of tissue fluid around the pulmonary circulation. They can be found close
to the terminal bronchioles and drain the mediastinal lymphatics before emptying into
the right lymphatic duct.

It is appropriate to mention that a similar system of lymphatics and vessels exists

between the parietal and visceral pleurae, draining the pleural fluid which plays an
important role in providing a viscous medium for expansion of lungs during their
respiratory excursion. The large negative pleural pressure (approximately -4 to -7
mmHg) exists because of an efficient efferent venous and lymphatic system that
keeps the alveoli closely tethered to the visceral pleura and prevents them from
collapsing inwards.
 In addition to the pulmonary circulation, the lung parenchyma receives oxygenated
blood via the bronchial circulation (accounting for about ~1% of the cardiac output)
which arises from the aorta, and thus left ventricle. The bronchial circulation has
superifical and deep systems. The superficial system drains into the hemiazygos and
azygos veins, which ultimately drain into the right heart with the systemic venous return.
However, the deep circulation drains into the pulmonary vein and thus left ventricle. As a
result, the deep bronchial system effectively functions as an arteriovenous shunt.
However, its venous return to the left heart is minimal (0-0.5% of cardiac output) and
does not affect cardiac output to any significant degree as volumes between right and
left ventricles are nearly identicle.

Venn Diagram

Pulmonary Circulation

- moves blood between the heart and the lungs.

- Composed of pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein

- Carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle of the heart ti the lungs through
the pulmonary artery

- Helps release carbon dioxide from the blood while dissolving oxygen in the blood

- Carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart by the
pulmonary vein

Systematic Circulation

- moves blood between the heart and the rest of the body.

- Compose of inferior and superior vena cava, aorta, and other small blood vessels

- Carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle of the heart ti the body through the
aorta
 - Helps provide nutrients and oxygen to the metabolizing cells in the body

- Carries deoxygenated blood from the body to the right atrium of the heart bythe
superior and inferior vena cava

Similarities

Both the systemic and the pulmonary circulations respond to local hypoxia in the appropriate
manner,

The Heart Powers Both Types of Circulation

https://www.innerbody.com/image/cardov.html

https://www.britannica.com/science/human-cardiovascular-system

https://www.fi.edu/heart/blood-vessels

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-groups/#:~:text=There%20are%204%20main%20blood,there
%20are%208%20blood%20groups.

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