Section 34-1

The Circulatory System

Bio 30 NWRC
Functions of the circulatory system
• The circulatory
system is composed
of the heart and blood
vessels, including
arteries, veins, and
capillaries.
Blood Vessels
• Arteries
• Arteries are muscular
blood vessels that
carry blood away from
the heart All arteries,
(with the exception of
the pulmonary and
umbilical arteries),
carry oxygenated
blood.
Capillaries
• Branch throughout the
body
• Microscopic blood
vessels -capillaries are
very thin and fragile. The
capillaries are actually
only one epithelial cell
thick. They are so thin
that blood cells can only
pass through them in
single file
Capillaries
• The exchange of oxygen
and carbon dioxide takes
place through the thin
capillary wall. The red
blood cells inside the
capillary release their
oxygen which passes
through the wall and into
the surrounding tissue.
The tissue releases its
waste products, like
carbon dioxide, which
passes through the wall
and into the red blood
cells.
 Veins
• In the circulatory
system, a vein is a
blood vessel that
carries blood toward
the heart. The
majority of veins in
the body carry low-
oxygen blood from
the tissues back to
the heart
The Heart- watch video
• Muscular organ about as
large as your fist
• The heart is the key
organ in the circulatory
system. As a hollow,
muscular pump, its main
function is to propel blood
throughout the body. It
usually beats from 60 to
100 times per minute
The Heart is divided into 4
chambers

Right Atrium Left Atrium

Right Ventricle Left Ventricle

 The Heart is divided into 4
chambers

Right Atrium Left Atrium

The Atria -The right atrium receives de-oxygenated blood

from the body through the superior vena cava (head and
upper body) and inferior vena cava (legs and lower torso).
The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs
through the pulmonary vein. As the contraction triggered by
the sinoatrial node progresses through the atria, the blood
passes through the mitral valve into the left ventricle.
 The Heart is divided into 4
chambers
The right ventricle is one of four chambers (two
atria and two ventricles) in the human heart. It
receives de-oxygenated blood from the right atrium
via the tricuspid valve, and pumps it into the
pulmonary artery via the pulmonary valve.

Right Ventricle Left Ventricle

Left ventricle: The left lower chamber of the heart that receives blood from the
left atrium and pumps it out under high pressure through the aorta to the body.
The chambers
• Right Atrium

• Left atrium

• Left ventricle

• Right ventricle
Blood flow through the Heart

• Deoxygenated blood
returns to the heart

• Superior Vena cava

• Inferior Vena cava
Blood flow through the Heart

• Deoxygenated Blood
collects in the right
atrium
Blood flow through the Heart

• Blood passes into the

right ventricle through
the tricuspid valve
• The ventricle is a
powerful pump which
pushes the
deoxygenated blood
out to the lungs
Blood flow through the Heart

• Blood passes into the

pulmonary artery
Blood flow through the Heart

• Oxygenated blood
returns to the heart
from the lungs

• Pulmonary veins
return oxygenated
blood from the lungs
to the heart
Blood flow through the Heart

• Oxygenated blood
collects in the left
atrium
Blood flow through the Heart

• Oxygenated blood
passes into the left
ventricle
• Again the left ventricle
is a powerful pump
which must squeeze
the blood out into the
body
Blood flow through the Heart

• Blood passes into the

aorta and out to body
 The Human Heart
• Link to web site –
watch the animations
and interactive
lessons
Valves of the heart
• The valves of the heart are
located within the chambers of
the heart and are critical to the
proper flow of blood through
the heart. All of the valves,
when functioning normally, act
as one-way valves, allowing
blood to flow either from one
chamber to another, or
allowing blood to flow out of
the heart, in only one direction.
The valves control the flow of
blood through the heart by
opening and closing during the
contractions of the heart.
The “Pacemaker”
• Acting as the heart's natural
pacemaker, the SA node
"fires" at regular intervals to
cause the heart of beat with a
rhythm of about 60 to 70 beats
per minute for a healthy,
resting heart. The electrical
impulse from the SA node
triggers a sequence of
electrical events in the heart to
control the orderly sequence of
muscle contractions that pump
the blood out of the heart.
The “Pacemaker”
• The sinus rhythm
normally controls both
atrial and ventricular
rhythm. Action potentials
generated by the SA
node spread throughout
the atria, depolarizing this
tissue and causing atrial
contraction. The impulse
then travels into the
ventricles via the
atrioventricular node (AV
node). This causes the
ventricles to contract –
the 2 step process makes
a complete heartbeat
 Pulse
• a person's pulse is the
throbbing of their arteries
as an effect of the
heartbeat. It can be felt in
any place that allows for
an artery to be
compressed against a
bone, such as at the neck
at the wrist ,behind the
knee, and on the inside of
the elbow , or near the
ankle joint
 Blood Pressure
• Blood pressure is the
pressure of the blood
against the walls of the
arteries.
• Blood pressure results
from two forces. One is
created by the heart as it
pumps blood into the
arteries and through the
circulatory system. The
other is the force of the
arteries as they resist the
blood flow.
 Blood Pressure
• The higher (systolic)
number represents the
pressure while the heart
contracts to pump blood
to the body.
• The lower (diastolic)
number represents the
pressure when the heart
relaxes between beats.
• The systolic pressure is
always stated first.
Normal is 120/80
although that is variable
with different sources
 Blood Components
• Blood plasma is the
liquid component of
blood, in which the
blood cells are
suspended. It makes
up about 55% of total
blood volume.
 Blood Components
• Red Blood Cells. A
single drop of blood
contains millions of
red blood cells which
are constantly
traveling through your
body delivering
oxygen and removing
waste.
•
Blood
Red blood cells are red only
Components
because they contain a protein
chemical called hemoglobin which
is bright red in colour.
Hemoglobin contains the element
Iron, making it an excellent vehicle
for transporting oxygen and
carbon dioxide. As blood passes
through the lungs, oxygen
molecules attach to the
hemoglobin. As the blood passes
through the body's tissue, the
hemoglobin releases the oxygen to
the cells. The empty hemoglobin
molecules then bond with the
tissue's carbon dioxide or other
waste gases, transporting it away.
 Blood Components
• Platelets :Platelets are
irregularly-shaped,
colourless cell fragments that
are present in blood. Their
sticky surface lets them,
along with other substances,
form clots to stop bleeding.
The platelets release a
chemical called FIBRIN
which weaves a network of
fibres across a cut and
enables healing
 Blood Components
• White Blood Cells
• White blood cells or
leukocytes are cells of
the immune system
defending the body
against both infectious
disease and foreign
materials.
 Blood Types
• See Table 34-1 on page 998
• As you know there are 4 possible blood
types: A B O or AB
• There are several possible markers on
your blood cells if you have type A you
have A markers, B you have B markers
• And if you have AB you have both and
neither if you have type O blood
 Blood Types
• The plasma (liquid part of the blood) has
proteins called ANTIBODIES which attack
foreign markers and cause the blood to
clump.
• TYPE A blood has anti-B proteins
• TYPE B blood has anti-A proteins
• TYPE AB blood has no anti -proteins
• TYPE O blood has both anti- A and anti-B
proteins
 Blood Types
• People with blood group 0 are called
"universal donors" (they can safely give
blood to anyone because their blood has
no markers) and people with blood group
AB are called "universal receivers." (they
can receive blood from anyone because
they have no antibodies)
 Blood Types
• RH factor Many people
also have a Rh factor
on the red blood cell's
surface. This is also an
antigen and those who
have it are called Rh+.
Those who haven't are
called Rh-.
 Blood Types
• A person with Rh- blood
does not have Rh
antibodies naturally in the
blood plasma (as one can
have A or B antibodies, for
instance). But a person with
Rh- blood can develop Rh
antibodies in the blood
plasma if he or she receives
blood from a person with
Rh+ blood, whose Rh
antigens can trigger the
production of Rh antibodies.
A person with Rh+ blood
can receive blood from a
person with Rh- blood
without any problems.
 Assessment
• 1. The main function of the circulatory
system is to supply your body cells with O2
and nutrients and also to remove wastes
including CO2
 Assessment
• 2.
 Assessment
• 3. Arteries have a thicker wall than veins
have – veins have valves and arteries do
not
 Assessment
• 3. For every 100 white blood cells there
would be about 50-100,000 red blood cells