What is the Circulatory System?
Our body has 11 organ system, that works in a synchronized way to keep the whole body in a harmony without the occurrence of any issue, these 11 organ systems are – integumentary system, respiratory system, digestive system, skeletal system, muscular system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, lymphatic system, nervous system, urinary system, and reproductive systems.
If we talk about the circulatory system, which coordinates with the cardiovascular system of the body to fight against diseases, keep the immune system updated, regulate body temperature, balance the chemical reactions going in the body, prove the homeostasis or balance the requirements, and other equations too.
To work in a proper way, our body system and its cells require energy, nutrients, and oxygen supply additionally they need their waste to be removed in a timely. These are the main functions performed by the circulatory system. In this the main components like the Heart, Blood vessels, Blood work together with the purpose of serving cells of the body.
Like, nutrients are gathered from the small intestine, oxygen is picked from the lungs, and with the help of veins, arteries, and capillaries, it is transported to each and every cell of the body.
Invertebrates have the open system of circulation, where the flow of fluid is throughout the tissues, whereas all vertebrates have the closed circulatory system – which means that the circulatory system needs its fluid to flow in an intricate network of vessels. Even the flow of fluids like blood and lymph is also through defined and interacting modes, the lymphatic system and the cardiovascular system.
Components of Circulatory System
Blood: Blood is one of the transport systems present in the body. It transports the nutrients, antibodies, hormones, oxygen to and from each and every cell of the body and thus supports the working of the body in a proper way. Blood consist of:
- Red blood cells (RBC)
- White blood cells (WBC)
- Platelets, and
- Plasma.
Red blood cells carry oxygen, while white blood cells participate in the working of the immune system along with the platelets which are needed for blood clotting and plasma functions in providing nutrients and blood cells.
Arteries: Arteries are the carrier of the blood rich in oxygen away from the heart to the destination.
Veins: Veins are the carrier of the de-oxygenated blood to the heart and send it further to the lungs to get oxygen.
The Heart: The heart is situated at the center of the chest, it performs work by consistently pumping and thereby making all the systems active throughout.
The critical role of the heart is to pump the blood around the body, it resides slightly left side and in front of the lungs. The heart has four chambers and due to the presence of heart valves, the flow of blood is in one direction. The hear beats are produced due to the contractions of the chambers.
The right upper chamber (atrium) accept or allow to let in the deoxygenated blood, which has carbon dioxide as one of the constituents, now the blood is passed down to the lower chamber of the right side of the heart (ventricle), from here is sent to the lungs by the artery and the carbon dioxide is replaced by the oxygen.
In the left side of the heart, again the blood travels back, but in the left upper chamber (atrium), and then it is pumped to the left lower chamber (ventricle) and then finally to an artery or aorta and then oxygenated blood is distributed throughout the body.
So, it can be remembered in a way, that blood always enters the heart through the atrium or atria and exists through the ventricles.
