27-1

Circulatory
System

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 27-2

Introduction
 The cardiovascular system consists of heart, blood
vessels and blood

 Sends blood to
◼ Lungs for gas exchange (getting oxygen and removing
CO2)
◼ Digestive system for transport the absorbed nutrients

 CV system also circulates waste products to certain

systems for removal from the blood
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 27-3

The Heart: Structures

 Cone-shaped organ
about the size of a
closed fist
 In the mediastinum
 Extends from the level
of the second rib to
about the level of the
sixth rib
 Points slightly left of
the midline
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 27-4

The Heart: Structures (cont.)

 Heart is bordered:
◼ Laterally by the lungs
◼ Posteriorly by the vertebral column
◼ Anteriorly by the sternum
 Rests on the diaphragm inferiorly

❑ Blood Supply to the Heart

• Coronary arteries are the first blood vessels
to branch from the aorta
• Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart.
• Coronary veins collect the blood from the heart

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 27-5

The Heart: Structures (cont.)

 Heart coverings
◼ Pericardium
 Covers the heart and large blood
vessels attached to the heart
 Visceral pericardium
◼ Innermost layer
◼ Directly on the heart
 Parietal pericardium
◼ Layer on top of the visceral
pericardium
 Heart walls:
◼ Epicardium
 Outermost layer
◼ Myocardium
 Middle layer
 Primarily cardiac muscle
◼ Endocardium
 Innermost layer
 Thin and smooth
 Stretches as the heart pumps © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
 27-6

The Heart: Structures (cont.)

 Four chambers
◼ Two atria
 Upper chambers
 Left and right
 Separated by interatrial
septum

◼ Two ventricles
 Lower chambers
 Left and right
 Separated by interventricular
septum

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 27-7

The Heart: Structures (cont.)

•Right Atrium
•Thin wall chamber that receives deoxygenated blood
from superior and inferior vena cava and pumps blood to
the right ventricle
•Left Atrium
•Thin wall chamber that receives oxygenated blood from
pulmonary veins and pumps blood to left ventricle
•Right Ventricle
•Thick wall chamber that receives deoxygenated blood
from right atrium and pumps blood to pulmonary artery.
•Left Ventricle
•Thick wall chamber that receives oxygenated blood
from left atrium and pumps blood to the Aorta.

•The two ventricles are separated from the atria by

atrioventricular (AV) valves
•Tricuspid valve separates right atrium from
right ventricle
•Bicuspid (Mitral) valve separates left atrium
from left ventricle

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 27-8

The Heart: Structures (cont.)

Structural Differences in heart chambers

❑ Compared to the right ventricle the
left ventricle is:
• More muscular and has thicker wall
• Develops higher pressure during
contraction
• Produces about 6 times more force
during contraction
• Round in cross section

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 27-9

The Heart: Structures (cont.)

 Tricuspid valve – prevents blood from
flowing back into the right atrium
when the right ventricle contracts

 Bicuspid valve (Mitral) – prevents

blood from flowing back into the left
atrium when the left ventricle contracts

 Pulmonary valve – prevents blood

from flowing back into the right
ventricle

 Aortic valve – prevents blood from

flowing back into the left ventricle

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 27-10

Working of heart’s valves

Atrioventricular valves Semilunar valves
 A-V valves open and allow blood • Semilunar valves open with
to flow from atria into ventricles ventricular contraction
when ventricular pressure is lower – allow blood to flow into
than atrial pressure pulmonary trunk and aorta
 occurs when ventricles are • SL valves close with ventricular
relaxed, chordae tendineae are relaxation
slack and papillary muscles are – prevents blood from returning to
relaxed ventricles, blood fills valve cusps,
tightly closing the SL valves
 A-V valves close preventing
backflow of blood into atria
 occurs when ventricles contract, pushing
valve cusps closed, chordae tendineae are
pulled taut and papillary muscles contract
to pull cords and prevent cusps from
everting

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 27-11

The Heart: Blood Flow (cont.)

Right Tricuspid Right Pulmonary

Atrium Valve Ventricle Valve

Body Lungs

Aortic Left Left Pulmonary

Bicuspid
Semilunar Semilunar
Ventricle Valve Atrium
Valve Valve

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 27-12

The Heart: Cardiac Cycle

❑The heart contracts and relaxes in a rhythmic  Right atrium contracts
cycle called the cardiac cycle ◼ Tricuspid valve opens
❑The contraction, or pumping, phase of the ◼ Blood fills right ventricle
cycle
•Is called systole  Right ventricle contracts
❑The relaxation, or filling, phase of the cycle ◼ Tricuspid valve closes
•Is called diastole ◼ Pulmonary semilunar valve opens
❑The heart rate, also called the pulse ◼ Blood flows into pulmonary
artery
•Is the number of beats per minute
 Left atrium contracts
 One heartbeat = one cardiac cycle ◼ Bicuspid valve opens
◼ Atria contract and relax ◼ Blood fills left ventricle
◼ Ventricles contract and relax  Left ventricle contracts
❑ Impulse Conduction through the Heart ◼ Bicuspid valve closes
• The events of the cardiac cycle including atrial ◼ Aortic semilunar valve opens
and ventricular systole and diastole, and the ◼ Blood pushed into aorta
heart sounds are related to specific events in the
cycle.
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 27-13

Cardiac Cycle

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The Heart: Heart Sounds

 One cardiac cycle – two heart
sounds (lubb and dubb) when
valves in the heart snap shut
◼ Lubb – First sound
 When the 2 ventricles
contract, the tricuspid
and bicuspid valves
snap shut
◼ Dubb – Second sound
 When the 2 atria
contract and the
pulmonary and aortic
valves snap shut

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 27-15

The Heart: Cardiac Conduction System

 Group of structures that send electrical ❑ Some cardiac muscle cells are self-excitable, i. e.
impulses through the wall of the heart they contract without any signal from the nervous system
 Sinoatrial node (SA node)
◼ Cluster of cells in wall of Rt. Atrium
◼ Natural pacemaker
◼ Generates impulse that spreads to both atria, so
atria contract
◼ Impulse spreads to AV node
 Atrioventricular node (AV node)
◼ in atrial septum, between atria just above
ventricles
◼ transmits signal to bundle of His (A–V bundle)
 Bundle of His
◼ Between ventricles
◼ Two branches
◼ Sends impulse to Purkinje fibers
 Purkinje fibers
◼ Lateral walls of ventricles
◼ Connect impulse to ventricles to make them
contract © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
 27-16

Blood Vessels: Arteries, Arterioles and Capillaries

Blood vessels are the body’s highways that allow blood to flow quickly and efficiently from
the heart to every region of the body and back again.

 Arteries
 Strongest of the blood vessels
 Carry blood away from the
heart
 Arterioles
Small branches of arteries
❑ Capillaries
• Branches of arterioles
• Smallest type of blood vessel
• Connect arterioles to venules
• Only about one cell layer thick
• Oxygen and nutrients can pass
out of a capillaries into a body
cells
• Carbon dioxide and other waste
products pass out of a body cell
into a capillary © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
 27-17

Blood Vessels: Venules and Veins

 Venules
 Venules are continuous with capillaries;
take in some returned fluid (rest is
retained by tissues or returned to blood
via lymphatic system)

 Veins
 Veins have thinner walls than arteries;
less muscle; but can hold much more
blood
 Many veins in limbs have valves to
prevent blood backflow
◼ Skeletal muscle contractions
help move blood
◼ Valves prevent blood backflow
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 27-18

Physiology of Capillaries
❑ Many substances (fluids and solutes) enter
and leave capillaries by diffusion across the
porous capillary walls

▪Blood flows through the capillaries very

slowly to allow this exchange

❑ Blood is forced through arteries and arteriol

but their walls are too thick for blood components
to pass through

❑ In capillaries, oxygen and nutrients move out

by diffusion; CO2 in

❑ Blood pressure makes molecules move out

❑ Plasma proteins maintain osmotic pressure of

blood inside the capillaries causing absorption © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
 27-19

Circulation
❑ Systemic circulation
• Left side of heart pumps blood through body
• Left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood into aorta
• Aorta branches into many arteries that travel to organs
• Arteries branch into many arterioles in tissues
• Arterioles branch into thin-walled capillaries for
exchange of gases and nutrients
• Deoxygenated blood begins its return in venules
• Venules merge into veins that return blood to right
atrium

❑ Pulmonary circulation
• Right side of heart pumps deoxygenated blood to lungs
• Right ventricle pumps blood to pulmonary trunk
• Pulmonary trunk branches into 2 pulmonary arteries
• Pulmonary arteries carry blood to lungs for exchange
of gases
• Oxygenated blood returns to heart in pulmonary veins

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 27-20

Circulation(cont.)
 Pulmonary circuit
right atrium → right ventricle →
pulmonary artery trunk →
pulmonary arteries → lungs →
pulmonary veins → heart (left
atrium)

 Systemic circuit
left atrium → left ventricle → aorta →
arteries → arterioles →capillaries
→ venules → veins → vena cava
→ heart (right atrium)

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 27-21

The double pump

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 27-22

Circulation (cont.)
 Arterial system
◼ Carries oxygen-rich blood away from
the heart, except pulmonary arteries
carry oxygen-poor blood

 Venous system
◼ Carries oxygen-poor blood toward
the heart, except pulmonary veins
carry oxygen-rich blood

 Hepatic portal system

◼ Collection of veins carrying
blood to the liver

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 27-23

Blood
 A type of connective
tissue (Fluid CT) Average-sized adult has
4 to 6 liters of blood
◼ Red blood cells
(erythrocytes) Amount depends on:
◼ White blood cells ➢ Size of person

(leukocytes) ➢ Females have less than

◼ Platelets – cell males

fragments
◼ Plasma – fluid part of
blood

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 27-24

Blood Components

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 27-25

Blood Components
 Red blood cells
◼ Normal is about 45%

 White cells and

platelets = 1%

 Plasma = 55%

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 27-26

Blood Components: Red Blood Cells

 Erythrocytes
 Transport oxygen throughout the body
 Small biconcave-shaped disk shaped cells
 Hemoglobin is a pigment in RBCs
◼ Oxyhemoglobin carries oxygen; bright red
◼ Deoxyhemoglobin does not carry oxygen; dark red
 Carries carbon dioxide, so also called carboxyhemoglobin
 Erythropoietin – regulates production of RBCs

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 27-27

Blood Components: Red Blood Cells (cont.)

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 27-28

Blood Components: White Blood Cells

 WBC count normally 5000 to 10,000 cells per cubic millimeter of blood
 Granulocytes
◼ Neutrophils (55%) –destroy bacteria,
viruses, and toxins in the bloodstream
(phagocytes)
◼ Eosinophils (3%) – get rid of parasitic
infections such as worm infections
◼ Basophils (1%) – control inflammation and allergic
reactions
 Agranulocytes
◼ Monocytes (8%) – destroy bacteria, viruses,
and toxins in blood
◼ Lymphocytes (33%) – provide immunity for
the body
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 27-29

Blood Components: Platelets

 Fragments of cells found in
the bloodstream
 Also called thrombocytes
 Important in the clotting process of blood
 Normal count
◼ 130,000 to 360,000 platelets per cubic millimeter
of blood

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 27-30

Blood Components: Plasma

 Proteins  Nutrients
 Portion of blood are mostly ◼ Amino acids
liquid where they are ◼ Glucose
dissolved in water ◼ Nucleotides
◼ Albumins ◼ Lipids from the digestive
 Smallest plasma proteins tract
 Pulls water in to help  Gases – oxygen, carbon
maintain blood pressure dioxide, and nitrogen
◼ Globulins – transport lipids
and fat-soluble vitamins
 Electrolytes
◼ Fibrinogen – needed for  Waste products
blood clotting

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 27-31

Blood: Bleeding Control

 Hemostasis – the control
of bleeding
 Three processes of
hemostasis
◼ Blood vessel spasm
◼ Platelet plug formation
◼ Blood coagulation

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

1 The clotting process begins 2 The platelets form a This seal is reinforced by a clot of fibrin when
3
when the endothelium of a plug that provides vessel damage is severe. Fibrin is formed via a
vessel is damaged, exposing emergency protection multistep process: Clotting factors released from
connective tissue in the against blood loss. the clumped platelets or damaged cells mix with
vessel wall to blood. Platelets clotting factors in the plasma convert a plasma
adhere to collagen fibers in protein called prothrombin to its active form,
the connective tissue and thrombin.
release a substance that Thrombin itself is an enzyme that catalyzes the
makes nearby platelets sticky. final step of the clotting process, the conversion of
fibrinogen to fibrin. The threads of fibrin become
interwoven into a patch.

Collagen fibers
Platelet Fibrin clot
Red blood cell
plug
Platelet releases chemicals
that make nearby platelets sticky

Clotting factors from:

Platelets
Damaged cells
Plasma (factors include calcium, vitamin K)

Prothrombin Thrombin

Fibrinogen Fibrin © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
 Functions of the cardiovascular system
1- Transportation: to and from tissue cells 3- Regulation of the body’s homeostasis:
maintains stability of several internal
❑ Nutrients to cells: amino acids, glucose, conditions
vitamins, minerals, lipids
❑ Oxygen: by red blood corpuscles to ❑ Blood vessels: maintain a stable body temperature
by controlling the blood flow to the surface of the
body cells skin
❑ Wastes from cells: urea & CO2 to be - In the case of overheating : Blood vessels near
processed or removed from the body the skin’s surface open to allow hot blood to leak
its heat into the surroundings
❑ Hormones: distributed to all parts of the body - In the case of hypothermia: these blood vessels
in the blood. constrict to keep blood flowing only to vital organs
inside the body
2- Protection of the body:
❑ By white blood cells: (clean up cellular debris and ❑ Blood: helps balance the body’s pH due to the
fight pathogens that have entered the body) presence of bicarbonate ions, which act as a buffer
solution
❑ Platelets and red blood cells: form clots (to seal
wounds and prevent pathogens from entering the ❑ Albumins in blood plasma: help to balance the
body and liquids from leaking out) osmotic concentration of the body’s cells by
❑ Blood carries antibodies (provide specific maintaining an isotonic environment.
immunity against pathogens that the body has
previously been exposed to or has been vaccinated
against)
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 27-35

The Lymphatic System

• A collection of special drainage vessels
receiving excess tissue fluid.
• Once the tissue fluid enters the lymphatic
capillaries it is called lymph.
• Lymph nodes (e.g. tonsils) filter the lymph
and produce lymphocytes.
• The lymph vessels have many valves, but
low pressure.
• The lymph is moved along by the squeezing
action of:
o the skeletal muscles,
o pressure changes in the thorax during
breathing and
o by the rhythmic contraction of the
lymph vessel walls.
• Lymph re-enters the blood just before the
right atrium.
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 27-36

Functions of the Lymphatic System

Circulatory role
• Returns the excess tissue fluid to the blood: this maintains blood volume,
pressure and concentration.
• Collects and delivers the absorbed lipids from the small intestine to the blood

Defense role
• The lymph nodes filter out pathogens in the lymph.
• Production and ‘export’ of lymphocytes to the blood system for general
distribution.
• Detection of antigens and production of specific antibodies.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved