control the circulation, keeping the blood rich in oxygen and nutrients to reach – as directly as

possible – the most cells in the body and bringing in return the oxygen-depleted blood and the
waste produced by cellular function. During this process, the CV system is also used as a
highway for the exchange of information between different paths of the body, e.g. by hormones,
cytokines and other signalling molecules. It is vital that all of these functions work smoothly, both
in health and in disease, and are able to adapt to the ever-changing environments of the body.
The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart, the arterial, vascular and capillary systems
and the blood with its constituents.

The right and left circulatory systems act in tandem to ensure: