An Introduction To The Cardiovascular System

Cardiovascular System
Overview
The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, which is an anatomical pump, with its intricate
conduits (arteries, veins, and capillaries) that traverse the whole human body carrying blood. The
blood contains oxygen, nutrients, wastes, and immune and other functional cells that help
provide for homeostasis and basic functions of human cells and organs.
The pumping action of the heart usually maintains a balance between cardiac output and venous
return. Cardiac output (CO) is the amount of blood pumped out by each ventricle in one minute.
The normal adult blood volume is 5 liters (a little over 1 gallon) and it usually passes through the
heart once a minute. Note that cardiac output varies with the demands of the body.
The cardiac cycle refers to events that occur during one heart beat and is split into ventricular
systole (contraction/ejection phase) and diastole (relaxation/filling phase). A normal heart rate is
approximately 72 beats/minute, and the cardiac cycle spreads over 0.8 seconds. The heart sounds
transmitted are due to closing of heart valves, and abnormal heart sounds, called murmurs,
usually represent valve incompetency or abnormalities.
Blood is transported through the whole body by a continuum of blood vessels. Arteries are blood
vessels that transport blood away from the heart, and veins transport the blood back to the heart.
Capillaries carry blood to tissue cells and are the exchange sites of nutrients, gases, wastes, etc.
An Introduction to the Cardiovascular System
The cardiovascular system can be thought of as the transport system of the body. This system has three
main components: the heart, the blood vessel and the blood itself. The heart is the system’s pump and
the blood vessels are like the delivery routes. Blood can be thought of as a fluid which contains the
oxygen and nutrients the body needs and carries the wastes which need to be removed. The following
information describes the structure and function of the heart and the cardiovascular system as a whole.
Structure and Function of the Heart
Function and Location of the Heart

The heart’s job is to pump blood around the body. The heart is located in between the two lungs. It lies
left of the middle of the chest.
Structure of the Heart
The heart is a muscle about the size of a fist, and is roughly cone-shaped. It is about 12cm long, 9cm
across the broadest point and about 6cm thick.
The pericardium is a fibrous covering which wraps around the whole heart. It holds the heart in place
but allows it to move as it beats. The wall of the heart itself is made up of a special type of muscle
called cardiac muscle.
Chambers of the Heart
The heart has two sides, the right side and the left side. The heart has four chambers. The left and right
side each have two chambers, a top chamber and a bottom chamber. The two top chambers are known
as the left and right atria (singular: atrium). The atria receive blood from different sources. The left
atrium receives blood from the lungs and the right atrium receives blood from the rest of the body. The
bottom two chambers are known as the left and right ventricles.
The ventricles pump blood out to different parts of the body. The right ventricle pumps blood to the
lungs while the left ventricle pumps out blood to the rest of the body. The ventricles have much thicker
walls than the atria which allows them to perform more work by pumping out blood to the whole body.
Blood Vessels
Blood Vessel are tubes which carry blood.
Veins are blood vessels which carry blood from the body back to the heart.
Arteries are blood vessels which carry blood from the heart to the body. There are also microscopic
blood vessels which connect arteries and veins together called capillaries. There are a few main blood
vessels which connect to different chambers of the heart. The aorta is the largest artery in our body. The
left ventricle pumps blood into the aorta which then carries it to the rest of the body through smaller
arteries.
The pulmonary trunk is the large artery which the right ventricle pumps into. It splits into pulmonary
arteries which take the blood to the lungs. The pulmonary veins take blood from the lungs to the left
atrium. All the other veins in our body drain into the inferior vena cava (IVC) or the superior vena cava
(SVC). These two large veins then take the blood from the rest of the body into the right atrium.
Valves
Valves are fibrous flaps of tissue found between the heart chambers and in the blood vessels. They are
rather like gates which prevent blood from flowing in the wrong direction. They are found in a number
of places. Valves between the atria and ventricles are known as the right and left atrioventricular valves,
otherwise known as the tricuspid and mitral valves respectively. Valves between the ventricles and the
great arteries are known as the semilunar valves. The aortic valve is found at the base of the aorta, while
the pulmonary valve is found the base of the pulmonary trunk. There are also many valves found in
veins throughout the body. However, there are no valves found in any of the other arteries besides the
aorta and pulmonary trunk.
What is the Cardiovascular System?
The cardiovascular system refers to the heart, blood vessels and the blood. Blood contains oxygen and
other nutrients which your body needs to survive. The body takes these essential nutrients from the
blood. At the same time, the body dumps waste products like carbon dioxide, back into the blood, so
they can be removed. The main function of the cardiovascular system is therefore to maintain blood
flow to all parts of the body, to allow it to survive. Veins deliver used blood from the body back to the
heart. Blood in the veins is low in oxygen (as it has been taken out by the body) and high in carbon
dioxide (as the body has unloaded it back into the blood). All the veins drain into the superior and
inferior vena cava which then drain into the right atrium. The right atrium pumps blood into the right
ventricle. Then the right ventricle pumps blood to the pulmonary trunk, through the pulmonary arteries
and into the lungs. In the lungs the blood picks up oxygen that we breathe in and gets rid of carbon
dioxide, which we breathe out. The blood is becomes rich in oxygen which the body can use. From the
lungs, blood drains into the left atrium and is then pumped into the left ventricle. The left ventricle then
pumps this oxygen-rich blood out into the aorta which then distributes it to the rest of the body through
other arteries. The main arteries which branch off the aorta and take blood to specific parts of the body
are:
 Carotid arteries, which take blood to the neck and head
 Coronary arteries, which provide blood supply to the heart itself

 Hepatic artery, which takes blood to the liver with branches going to the stomach
 Mesenteric artery, which takes blood to the intestines
 Renal arteries, which takes blood to the kidneys
 Femoral arteries, which take blood to the legs
The body is then able to use the oxygen in the blood to carry out its normal functions. This blood will
again return back to the heart through the veins and the cycle continues.

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Cardiovascular System

An Introduction to the Cardiovascular System

Function and Location of the Heart

 Carotid arteries, which take blood to the neck and head

 Coronary arteries, which provide blood supply to the heart itself

 Mesenteric artery, which takes blood to the intestines

 Renal arteries, which takes blood to the kidneys

 Femoral arteries, which take blood to the legs

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