ORGANS OF THE

CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
The circulatory system is responsible for transporting
materials throughout cells composing the multicellular
body, heals and fights infections, and at the same time,
removes wastes from them. The circulatory system
functions as an intricate highway that travels throughout the
entire body supplying the body cells with the materials they
need to survive.
The circulatory system has two divisions: the
cardiovascular system that transports blood and the
lymphatic system that transports the fluid called lymph.
CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM
 The cardiovascular system is the organ system
that transports nutrients (digestive products), gases,
hormones, and other materials to and from the cells
of the body.
This organ system is composed of the heart,
which is a muscular pumping organ; the blood,
which is the circulating medium; and a closed
system of blood vessels the arteries, veins, and
capillaries.
ORGANS OF
CARDIOVAS
CULAR
SYSTEM
THE HEART
The heart is the muscular organ that pumps
blood to the different cardial cavity parts of the
body. It is located at the middle of the chest
cavity with its tip picardium or apex slightly
tilted toward the left. Its base lies just below
the second myocardium ribs. The heart is just
as big as one's own clenched fist. A sac known
as the pericardium encloses it.
THE HEART
 Three layers of tissues form the walls of the heart. The
outer layer of the heart wall is the epicardium, the middle
layer is the myocardium, and the inner layer is the
endocardium. The epicardium is the inner part of the
pericardium that is closely adhered to the heart; the
myocardium is the middle muscular part that is composed
of cardiac muscle tissue; and the endocardium is the thin
layer of tissue that lines the muscles Of the heart. Between
the outer pericardium and the epicardium is the
pericardial cavity that is filled with pericardial fluid.
THE CHAMBERS OF THE
HEART
The human heart is a four-chambered heart. The
interior of the heart is divided into four chambers, namely,
right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle, and left
ventricle. The muscle called septum divides the heart into
four chambers.
The atria (sing. atrium) are the receiving chambers of
the heart. These chambers are thin-walled. The right
atrium receives oxygen-poor blood from the vena cava, a
large vein while the left atrium receives blood from the
pulmonary veins.
 The two ventricles are the pumping
chambers that force blood out of the heart.
These chambers are thick-walled. The
right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs
for oxygenation, while the left ventricle
pumps oxygen-rich blood to all parts of
the body.
THE VALVES OF THE HEART
 Valves are flaps of muscles that prevent blood from back
flowing. Two sets of valves—the atrioventricular valves
and the pulmonary valves—work to ensure that blood
will move only in one direction.
 The atrioventricular valves (also known as the cuspid
valves) are located between the atria and ventricles. The
semilunar valves are located at the bases of the large
vessels leaving the ventricles.
THE VALVES OF THE HEART
THE BLOOD VESSELS IN THE
HEART
The vena cava is the largest vein that is
connected to the heart. This vein conveys oxygen-
poor blood coming from all parts of the body back
to the right atrium. It is divided into two: the
superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava.
The aorta is the largest artery. It conveys
oxygen-rich blood pumped by the left ventricle to all
parts of the body.
 The pulmonary artery conveys blood pumped
by the right ventricle to the lungs for oxygenation. It
branches into two connecting to each of the lungs.
The pulmonary veins convey oxygen-rich blood
back to the left atrium of the heart.
The heart, which is the working muscle in the
circulatory system, also needs blood to sustain itself.
The right and left coronary arteries, which
actually are branches of the ascending aorta, supply
the blood to the walls of the heart.
The Different
Types of
Blood Vessels
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BLOOD
VESSELS
The blood vessels are the network of channels
that convey blood to all parts of the body. As the
blood travels throughout the body, it remains
confined within these blood vessels. It is for this
reason that human circulation, like those of the other
vertebrates, is described as closed circulation.
According to structure and function, blood vessels
are classified into three: arteries, veins, and
capillaries.
ARTERY
 Arteries convey oxygen-rich blood away from the
heart. Except for the pulmonary arteries that
transport blood that has low oxygen content from the
right ventricle to the lungs, most of the arteries
transport oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to
the body tissues, starting from the aorta, the largest
artery in the body, the arteries branch repeatedly into
smaller and smaller arteries until the branching results
in the smallest arteries called arterioles. The
arterioles play a key role in regulating blood flow
into the tissue capillaries.
 The arterial walls consist of
three layers of tissues: the
tunica externa, tunica media,
and tunica intima.
THE
STRUCTU
RE OF AN
ARTERY
  The tunica externa is composed of connective tissue
containing varying amounts of elastic and collagenous
fibers. The presence of these fibers makes this layer tough
and strong.
 The middle layer is tunica media, the thickest layer
which is composed primarily of layers of smooth muscle.
This layer supports the entire blood vessel, and, at the
same time, changes the diameter of the vessel to regulate
blood flow and to handle high pressure of the blood
flowing through it.
 The innermost layer is tunica intima composed of
connective tissues and lined with simple squamous
epithelium. The layer of epithelium is in direct contact
with the blood flow.
VEIN
Just like in the artery, the vein is also composed of the
three layers of tissues: tunica adventitia, tunica media,
and tunica intima. However, as compared to an artery, the
vein has thinner tunica media; it has a wider lumen and is
equipped with valves that prevent the back flowing of
blood. Because the tunica media layer has fewer elastic
muscles, the veins easily collapse when cut.
Functionally, veins convey blood coming from all
parts of the body toward the heart. From the capillaries of
the different tissues and organs in the body, blood enters
the smallest veins called venules.
THE
STRUCTU
RE OF AN
VEIN
CAPILLARY
The capillaries are the smallest and the most
numerous blood vessels. They form the connection
between the arterioles and the venules. Their main
function is the exchange of materials—gases,
nutrients, and waste products of metabolism
between the blood and tissue cells. Structurally,
capillaries are one-cell thick. This is the reason why
materials can easily move in and out of these blood
vessels.
THE STRUCTURE OF AN
CAPILLARY
PATHWAYS
OF BLOOD
CIRCULATI
ON
As the blood moves throughout the entire
body, it follows two circuits or pathways:
the pulmonary pathway and the systemic
pathway.
PULMONARY CIRCULATION
 In this circuit, blood coming from all parts of the body is
oxygenated. Oxygen-poor blood returns to the right atrium
of the heart by way of the superior and inferior vena cava.
From the right atrium, the heart pushes the blood into the
right ventricle. Contraction of the right ventricle forces
blood to the lungs by way of the pulmonary artery. The
pulmonary artery splits into two carrying the blood to both
lungs.
 In the lungs, the arteries branch into even smaller tubes
and eventually into arterioles that eventually push the blood
through tiny vessels called capillaries, where exchange of
oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.
 The blood, now laden with oxygen, is sent back
toward the heart. The tiny capillaries converge into
venules and larger veins and then into pulmonary
veins, two from each lung. All four of them empty
the oxygenated blood they carry into the left atrium
of the heart. With a contraction of the heart muscle,
the blood from the left atrium will be forced into the
left ventricle to begin the other circuit, which is the
systemic circulation.
SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION
In this circuit, oxygen-rich blood from the lungs will
be distributed to the different parts of the body and then at
the same time collect from them the impure blood with the
help of veins.
As the heart contracts, oxygen-rich blood from the left
atrium of the heart goes to the left ventricle. Contraction
of the left ventricle forces the blood out of the heart to the
body tissues via the aorta, which is the major artery
leaving the heart
  The aorta subdivides into other arteries that serve
different parts of the body. Blood distribution via the
aorta falls into two categories: blood supply to the
upper body, and blood supply to the lower body. In
both categories, the blood passes through smaller
arteries until blood reaches the smallest arteries called
arterioles.
 The arterioles subdivide into network of capillaries
where exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between
the tissues and organs of the body happens. Blood
becomes deoxygenated when it leaves the tissues and
organs. It has to go back again to the heart for
oxygenation in the pulmonary circuit.
 Blood coming from the head and neck
region goes back to the right atrium of the
heart by way of the superior vena cava. All of
the blood in the major veins of the lower body
goes back to the right atrium of the heart by
way of the inferior vena cava and the
pulmonary circulation again begins.
The following figure will enable you to trace
the flow of blood within the blood vessels
called capillaries.
THE
END