Circulatory
Circulatory System
The Circulatory System (pronunciation: /sərˈkyələˌtôrē/), also known as the Cardiovascular System, is a complex network that facilitates the movement of blood, nutrients, hormones, oxygen, and other gases to and from cells, contributing to homeostasis and overall body function.
Etymology
The term "circulatory" is derived from the Latin word "circulatorius", meaning "going in a circle". It is used to describe the system due to the continuous circular movement of blood throughout the body.
Components
The circulatory system is primarily composed of the heart, blood, and blood vessels.
- The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system.
- Blood is a body fluid that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.
- Blood vessels are the channels or conduits through which blood is distributed to body tissues.
Related Terms
- Arteries: These are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.
- Veins: These are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart.
- Capillaries: These are the smallest blood vessels where the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and many other nutrients and waste chemical substances occurs between the blood and the tissues.
- Hemoglobin: This is the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs.
- Pulmonary Circulation: This is the portion of the cardiovascular system which carries oxygen-depleted blood away from the heart, to the lungs, and returns oxygenated blood back to the heart.
- Systemic Circulation: This is the part of the cardiovascular system which carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body, and returns deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Circulatory
- Wikipedia's article - Circulatory
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