Circulatory system - wikipedia Circulatory system `` Bloodstream '' redirects here. For the song by Ed Sheeran, see Bloodstream ( song ). This article is about the animal circulatory system. For plants, see Vascular tissue. Organ system for circulating blood in animals Circulatory system The human circulatory system ( simplified ). Red indicates oxygenated blood carried in arteries, blue indicates deoxygenated blood carried in veins. Capillaries, which join the arteries and veins, and the lymphatic vessels are not shown. Identifiers MeSH D002319 TA A12. 0.00. 001 FMA 7161 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) The circulatory system, also called the cardiovascular system or the vascular system, is an organ system that permits blood to circulate and transport nutrients ( such as amino acids and electrolytes ), oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones, and blood cells to and from the cells in the body to provide nourishment and help in fighting diseases, stabilize temperature and pH, and maintain homeostasis. The circulatory system includes the lymphatic system, which circulates lymph. The passage of lymph for example takes much longer than that of blood. Blood is a fluid consisting of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets that is circulated by the heart through the vertebrate vascular system, carrying oxygen and nutrients to and waste materials away from all body tissues. Lymph is essentially recycled excess blood plasma after it has been filtered from the interstitial fluid ( between cells ) and returned to the lymphatic system. The cardiovascular ( from Latin words meaning `` heart '' and `` vessel '' ) system comprises the blood, heart, and blood vessels. The lymph, lymph nodes, and lymph vessels form the lymphatic system, which returns filtered blood plasma from the interstitial fluid ( between cells ) as lymph. The circulatory system of the blood is seen as having two components, a systemic circulation and a pulmonary circulation. While humans, as well as other vertebrates, have a closed cardiovascular system ( meaning that the blood never leaves the network of arteries, veins and capillaries ), some invertebrate groups have an open cardiovascular system. The lymphatic system, on the other hand, is an open system providing an accessory route for excess interstitial fluid to be returned to the blood. The more primitive, diploblastic animal phyla lack circulatory systems. Many diseases affect the circulatory system. This includes cardiovascular disease, affecting the cardiovascular system, and lymphatic disease affecting the lymphatic system. Cardiologists are medical professionals which specialise in the heart, and cardiothoracic surgeons specialise in operating on the heart and its surrounding areas. Vascular surgeons focus on other parts of the circulatory system. Contents 1 Structure 1.1 Cardiovascular system 1.1. 1 Arteries 1.1. 2 Capillaries 1.1. 3 Veins 1.1. 4 Coronary vessels 1.1. 5 Portal veins 1.1. 6 Heart 1.1. 7 Lungs 1.1. 8 Systemic circulation 1.1. 9 Brain 1.1. 10 Kidneys 1.2 Lymphatic system 2 Development 2.1 Heart 2.2 Arteries 2.3 Veins 3 Function 3.1 Cardiovascular system 3.2 Lymphatic system 4 Clinical significance 4.1 Cardiovascular disease 4.2 Investigations 4.3 Surgery 5 Society and culture 6 Other animals 6.1 Open circulatory system 6.2 Closed circulatory system 6.3 No circulatory system 7 History 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Structure Cardiovascular system Depiction of the heart, major veins and arteries constructed from body scans. Cross section of a human artery Relative percentages of cardiac output delivered to major organ systems The essential components of the human cardiovascular system are the heart, blood and blood vessels. It includes the pulmonary circulation, a `` loop '' through the lungs where blood is oxygenated ; and the systemic circulation, a `` loop '' through the rest of the body to provide oxygenated blood. The systemic circulation can also be seen to function in two parts -- a macrocirculation and a microcirculation. An average adult contains five to six quarts ( roughly 4.7 to 5.7 liters ) of blood, accounting for approximately 7 % of their total body weight. Blood consists of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Also, the digestive system works with the circulatory system to provide the nutrients the system needs to keep the heart pumping. The cardiovascular systems of humans are closed, meaning that the blood never leaves the network of blood vessels. In contrast, oxygen and nutrients diffuse across the blood vessel layers and enter interstitial fluid, which carries oxygen and nutrients to the target cells, and carbon dioxide and wastes in the opposite direction. The other component of the circulatory system, the lymphatic system, is open. Arteries See also : Arterial tree Oxygenated blood enters the systemic circulation when leaving the left ventricle, through the aortic semilunar valve. The first part of the systemic circulation is the aorta, a massive and thick - walled artery. The aorta arches and gives branches supplying the upper part of the body after passing through the aortic opening of the diaphragm at the level of thoracic ten vertebra, it enters the abdomen. Later it descends down and supplies branches to abdomen, pelvis, perineum and the lower limbs. The walls of aorta are elastic. This elasticity helps to maintain the blood pressure throughout the body. When the aorta receives almost five litres of blood from the heart, it recoils and is responsible for pulsating blood pressure. Moreover, as aorta branches into smaller arteries, their elasticity goes on decreasing and their compliance goes on increasing. Capillaries Arteries branch into small passages called arterioles and then into the capillaries. The capillaries merge to bring blood into the venous system. Veins After their passage through body tissues, capillaries merge once again into venules, which continue to merge into veins. The venous system finally coalesces into two major veins : the superior vena cava ( roughly speaking draining the areas above the heart ) and the inferior vena cava ( roughly speaking from areas below the heart ). These two great vessels empty into the right atrium of the heart. Coronary vessels Main article : Coronary circulation The heart itself is supplied with oxygen and nutrients through a small `` loop '' of the systemic circulation and derives very little from the blood contained within the four chambers. Portal veins Main article : Portal vein The general rule is that arteries from the heart branch out into capillaries, which collect into veins leading back to the heart. Portal veins are a slight exception to this. In humans the only significant example is the hepatic portal vein which combines from capillaries around the gastrointestinal tract where the blood absorbs the various products of digestion ; rather than leading directly back to the heart, the hepatic portal vein branches into a second capillary system in the liver. Heart Main article : Heart View from the front The heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs. In the human heart there is one atrium and one ventricle for each circulation, and with both a systemic and a pulmonary circulation there are four chambers in total : left atrium, left ventricle, right atrium and right ventricle. The right atrium is the upper chamber of the right side of the heart. The blood that is returned to the right atrium is deoxygenated ( poor in oxygen ) and passed into the right ventricle to be pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for re-oxygenation and removal of carbon dioxide. The left atrium receives newly oxygenated blood from the lungs as well as the pulmonary vein which is passed into the strong left ventricle to be pumped through the aorta to the different organs of the body. The coronary circulation system provides a blood supply to the heart muscle itself. The coronary circulation begins near the origin of the aorta by two coronary arteries : the right coronary artery and the left coronary artery. After nourishing the heart muscle, blood returns through the coronary veins into the coronary sinus and from this one into the right atrium. Back flow of blood through its opening during atrial systole is prevented by the Thebesian valve. The smallest cardiac veins drain directly into the heart chambers. Lungs The pulmonary circulation as it passes from the heart. Showing both the pulmonary and bronchial arteries. Main article : Pulmonary circulation The circulatory system of the lungs is the portion of the cardiovascular system in which oxygen - depleted blood is pumped away from the heart, via the pulmonary artery, to the lungs and returned, oxygenated, to the heart via the pulmonary vein. Oxygen deprived blood from the superior and inferior vena cava enters the right atrium of the heart and flows through the tricuspid valve ( right atrioventricular valve ) into the right ventricle, from which it is then pumped through the pulmonary semilunar valve into the pulmonary artery to the lungs. Gas exchange occurs in the lungs, whereby CO is released from the blood, and oxygen is absorbed. The pulmonary vein returns the now oxygen - rich blood to the left atrium. A separate system known as the bronchial circulation supplies blood to the tissue of the larger airways of the lung. Systemic circulation The systemic circulation and capillary networks shown and also as separate from the pulmonary circulation Systemic circulation is the portion of the cardiovascular system which transports oxygenated blood away from the heart through the aorta from the left ventricle where the blood has been previously deposited from pulmonary circulation, to the rest of the body, and returns oxygen - depleted blood back to the heart. Brain Main article : Cerebral circulation The brain has a dual blood supply that comes from arteries at its front and back. These are called the `` anterior '' and `` posterior '' circulation respectively. The anterior circulation arises from the internal carotid arteries and supplies the front of the brain. The posterior circulation arises from the vertebral arteries, and supplies the back of the brain and brainstem. The circulation from the front and the back join together ( anastomise ) at the Circle of Willis. Kidneys The renal circulation receives around 20 % of the cardiac output. It branches from the abdominal aorta and returns blood to the ascending vena cava. It is the blood supply to the kidneys, and contains many specialized blood vessels. Lymphatic system Main article : Lymphatic system The lymphatic system is part of the circulatory system. It is a network of lymphatic vessels and lymph capillaries, lymph nodes and organs, and lymphatic tissues and circulating lymph. One of its major functions is to carry the lymph, draining and returning interstitial fluid back towards the heart for return to the cardiovascular system, by emptying into the lymphatic ducts. Its other main function is in the adaptive immune system. Development Main article : Fetal circulation The development of the circulatory system starts with vasculogenesis in the embryo. The human arterial and venous systems develop from different areas in the embryo. The arterial system develops mainly from the aortic arches, six pairs of arches which develop on the upper part of the embryo. The venous system arises from three bilateral veins during weeks 4 -- 8 of embryogenesis. Fetal circulation begins within the 8th week of development. Fetal circulation does not include the lungs, which are bypassed via the truncus arteriosus. Before birth the fetus obtains oxygen ( and nutrients ) from the mother through the placenta and the umbilical cord. Heart Main article : Heart development Arteries Main article : Aortic arches The human arterial system originates from the aortic arches and from the dorsal aortae starting from week 4 of embryonic life. The first and second aortic arches regress and forms only the maxillary arteries and stapedial arteries respectively. The arterial system itself arises from aortic arches 3, 4 and 6 ( aortic arch 5 completely regresses ). The dorsal aortae, present on the dorsal side of the embryo, are initially present on both sides of the embryo. They later fuse to form the basis for the aorta itself. Approximately thirty smaller arteries branch from this at the back and sides. These branches form the intercostal arteries, arteries of the arms and legs, lumbar arteries and the lateral sacral arteries. Branches to the sides of the aorta will form the definitive renal, suprarenal and gonadal arteries. Finally, branches at the front of the aorta consist of the vitelline arteries and umbilical arteries. The vitelline arteries form the celiac, superior and inferior mesenteric arteries of the gastrointestinal tract. After birth, the umbilical arteries will form the internal iliac arteries. Veins The human venous system develops mainly from the vitelline veins, the umbilical veins and the cardinal veins, all of which empty into the sinus venosus. Function Cardiovascular system Animation of a typical human red blood cell cycle in the circulatory system. This animation occurs at a faster rate ( ~ 20 seconds of the average 60 - second cycle ) and shows the red blood cell deforming as it enters capillaries, as well as the bars changing color as the cell alternates in states of oxygenation along the circulatory system. Main article : Blood § Oxygen transport About 98.5 % of the oxygen in a sample of arterial blood in a healthy human, breathing air at sea - level pressure, is chemically combined with hemoglobin molecules. About 1.5 % is physically dissolved in the other blood liquids and not connected to hemoglobin. The hemoglobin molecule is the primary transporter of oxygen in mammals and many other species. Lymphatic system Main article : Lymphatic system § Function Clinical significance Many diseases affect the circulatory system. This includes cardiovascular disease, affecting the cardiovascular system, and lymphatic disease affecting the lymphatic system. Cardiologists are medical professionals which specialise in the heart, and cardiothoracic surgeons specialise in operating on the heart and its surrounding areas. Vascular surgeons focus on other parts of the circulatory system. Cardiovascular disease Main article : Cardiovascular disease Diseases affecting the cardiovascular system are called cardiovascular disease. Many of these diseases are called `` lifestyle diseases '' because they develop over time and are related to a person 's exercise habits, diet, whether they smoke, and other lifestyle choices a person makes. Atherosclerosis is the precursor to many of these diseases. It is where small atheromatous plaques build up in the walls of medium and large arteries. This may eventually grow or rupture to occlude the arteries. It is also a risk factor for acute coronary syndromes, which are diseases which are characterised by a sudden deficit of oxygenated blood to the heart tissue. Atherosclerosis is also associated with problems such as aneurysm formation or splitting ( `` dissection '' ) of arteries. Another major cardiovascular disease involves the creation of a clot, called a `` thrombus ''. These can originate in veins or arteries. Deep venous thrombosis, which mostly occurs in the legs, is one cause of clots in the veins of the legs, particularly when a person has been stationary for a long time. These clots may embolise, meaning travel to another location in the body. The results of this may include pulmonary embolus, transient ischaemic attacks, or stroke. Cardiovascular diseases may also be congenital in nature, such as heart defects or persistent fetal circulation, where the circulatory changes that are supposed to happen after birth do not. Not all congenital changes to the circulatory system are associated with diseases, a large number are anatomical variations. Investigations Magnetic resonance angiography of aberrant subclavian artery The function and health of the circulatory system and its parts are measured in a variety of manual and automated ways. These include simple methods such as those that are part of the cardiovascular examination, including the taking of a person 's pulse as an indicator of a person 's heart rate, the taking of blood pressure through a sphygmomanometer or the use of a stethoscope to listen to the heart for murmurs which may indicate problems with the heart 's valves. An electrocardiogram can also be used to evaluate the way in which electricity is conducted through the heart. Other more invasive means can also be used. A cannula or catheter inserted into an artery may be used to measure pulse pressure or pulmonary wedge pressures. Angiography, which involves injecting a dye into an artery to visualise an arterial tree, can be used in the heart ( coronary angiography ) or brain. At the same time as the arteries are visualised, blockages or narrowings may be fixed through the insertion of stents, and active bleeds may be managed by the insertion of coils. An MRI may be used to image arteries, called an MRI angiogram. For evaluation of the blood supply to the lungs a CT pulmonary angiogram may be used. Vascular ultrasonography include for example : Intravascular ultrasound Ultrasonography of deep venous thrombosis Ultrasonography of chronic venous insufficiency of the legs Surgery This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( March 2015 ) There are a number of surgical procedures performed on the circulatory system : Coronary artery bypass surgery Coronary stent used in angioplasty Vascular surgery Vein stripping Cosmetic procedures Cardiovascular procedures are more likely to be performed in an inpatient setting than in an ambulatory care setting ; in the United States, only 28 % of cardiovascular surgeries were performed in the ambulatory care setting. Society and culture This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( March 2015 ) Other animals While humans, as well as other vertebrates, have a closed cardiovascular system ( meaning that the blood never leaves the network of arteries, veins and capillaries ), some invertebrate groups have an open cardiovascular system. The lymphatic system, on the other hand, is an open system providing an accessory route for excess interstitial fluid to be returned to the blood. The more primitive, diploblastic animal phyla lack circulatory systems. The blood vascular system first appeared probably in an ancestor of the triploblasts over 600 million years ago, overcoming the time - distance constraints of diffusion, while endothelium evolved in an ancestral vertebrate some 540 -- 510 million years ago. Open circulatory system See also : Hemolymph The open circulatory system of the grasshopper -- made up of a heart, vessels and hemolymph. The hemolymph is pumped through the heart, into the aorta, dispersed into the head and throughout the hemocoel, then back through the ostia in the heart and the process repeated. In arthropods, the open circulatory system is a system in which a fluid in a cavity called the hemocoel bathes the organs directly with oxygen and nutrients and there is no distinction between blood and interstitial fluid ; this combined fluid is called hemolymph or haemolymph. Muscular movements by the animal during locomotion can facilitate hemolymph movement, but diverting flow from one area to another is limited. When the heart relaxes, blood is drawn back toward the heart through open - ended pores ( ostia ). Hemolymph fills all of the interior hemocoel of the body and surrounds all cells. Hemolymph is composed of water, inorganic salts ( mostly sodium, chlorine, potassium, magnesium, and calcium ), and organic compounds ( mostly carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids ). The primary oxygen transporter molecule is hemocyanin. There are free - floating cells, the hemocytes, within the hemolymph. They play a role in the arthropod immune system. Flatworms, such as this Pseudoceros bifurcus, lack specialized circulatory organs Closed circulatory system Two - chambered heart of a fish The circulatory systems of all vertebrates, as well as of annelids ( for example, earthworms ) and cephalopods ( squids, octopuses and relatives ) are closed, just as in humans. Still, the systems of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds show various stages of the evolution of the circulatory system. In fish, the system has only one circuit, with the blood being pumped through the capillaries of the gills and on to the capillaries of the body tissues. This is known as single cycle circulation. The heart of fish is, therefore, only a single pump ( consisting of two chambers ). In amphibians and most reptiles, a double circulatory system is used, but the heart is not always completely separated into two pumps. Amphibians have a three - chambered heart. In reptiles, the ventricular septum of the heart is incomplete and the pulmonary artery is equipped with a sphincter muscle. This allows a second possible route of blood flow. Instead of blood flowing through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, the sphincter may be contracted to divert this blood flow through the incomplete ventricular septum into the left ventricle and out through the aorta. This means the blood flows from the capillaries to the heart and back to the capillaries instead of to the lungs. This process is useful to ectothermic ( cold - blooded ) animals in the regulation of their body temperature. Birds, mammals, and crocodilians show complete separation of the heart into two pumps, for a total of four heart chambers ; it is thought that the four - chambered heart of birds and crocodilians evolved independently from that of mammals. No circulatory system Circulatory systems are absent in some animals, including flatworms. Their body cavity has no lining or enclosed fluid. Instead a muscular pharynx leads to an extensively branched digestive system that facilitates direct diffusion of nutrients to all cells. The flatworm 's dorso - ventrally flattened body shape also restricts the distance of any cell from the digestive system or the exterior of the organism. Oxygen can diffuse from the surrounding water into the cells, and carbon dioxide can diffuse out. Consequently, every cell is able to obtain nutrients, water and oxygen without the need of a transport system. Some animals, such as jellyfish, have more extensive branching from their gastrovascular cavity ( which functions as both a place of digestion and a form of circulation ), this branching allows for bodily fluids to reach the outer layers, since the digestion begins in the inner layers. History Human anatomical chart of blood vessels, with heart, lungs, liver and kidneys included. Other organs are numbered and arranged around it. Before cutting out the figures on this page, Vesalius suggests that readers glue the page onto parchment and gives instructions on how to assemble the pieces and paste the multilayered figure onto a base `` muscle man '' illustration. `` Epitome '', fol. 14a. HMD Collection, WZ 240 V575dhZ 1543. The earliest known writings on the circulatory system are found in the Ebers Papyrus ( 16th century BCE ), an ancient Egyptian medical papyrus containing over 700 prescriptions and remedies, both physical and spiritual. In the papyrus, it acknowledges the connection of the heart to the arteries. The Egyptians thought air came in through the mouth and into the lungs and heart. From the heart, the air travelled to every member through the arteries. Although this concept of the circulatory system is only partially correct, it represents one of the earliest accounts of scientific thought. In the 6th century BCE, the knowledge of circulation of vital fluids through the body was known to the Ayurvedic physician Sushruta in ancient India. He also seems to have possessed knowledge of the arteries, described as ' channels ' by Dwivedi & Dwivedi ( 2007 ). The valves of the heart were discovered by a physician of the Hippocratean school around the 4th century BCE. However their function was not properly understood then. Because blood pools in the veins after death, arteries look empty. Ancient anatomists assumed they were filled with air and that they were for transport of air. The Greek physician, Herophilus, distinguished veins from arteries but thought that the pulse was a property of arteries themselves. Greek anatomist Erasistratus observed that arteries that were cut during life bleed. He ascribed the fact to the phenomenon that air escaping from an artery is replaced with blood that entered by very small vessels between veins and arteries. Thus he apparently postulated capillaries but with reversed flow of blood. In 2nd century AD Rome, the Greek physician Galen knew that blood vessels carried blood and identified venous ( dark red ) and arterial ( brighter and thinner ) blood, each with distinct and separate functions. Growth and energy were derived from venous blood created in the liver from chyle, while arterial blood gave vitality by containing pneuma ( air ) and originated in the heart. Blood flowed from both creating organs to all parts of the body where it was consumed and there was no return of blood to the heart or liver. The heart did not pump blood around, the heart 's motion sucked blood in during diastole and the blood moved by the pulsation of the arteries themselves. Galen believed that the arterial blood was created by venous blood passing from the left ventricle to the right by passing through ' pores ' in the interventricular septum, air passed from the lungs via the pulmonary artery to the left side of the heart. As the arterial blood was created ' sooty ' vapors were created and passed to the lungs also via the pulmonary artery to be exhaled. In 1025, The Canon of Medicine by the Persian physician, Avicenna, `` erroneously accepted the Greek notion regarding the existence of a hole in the ventricular septum by which the blood traveled between the ventricles. '' Despite this, Avicenna `` correctly wrote on the cardiac cycles and valvular function '', and `` had a vision of blood circulation '' in his Treatise on Pulse. While also refining Galen 's erroneous theory of the pulse, Avicenna provided the first correct explanation of pulsation : `` Every beat of the pulse comprises two movements and two pauses. Thus, expansion : pause : contraction : pause. (... ) The pulse is a movement in the heart and arteries... which takes the form of alternate expansion and contraction. '' In 1242, the Arabian physician, Ibn al - Nafis, became the first person to accurately describe the process of pulmonary circulation, for which he is sometimes considered the father of circulatory physiology. Ibn al - Nafis stated in his Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna 's Canon : ``... the blood from the right chamber of the heart must arrive at the left chamber but there is no direct pathway between them. The thick septum of the heart is not perforated and does not have visible pores as some people thought or invisible pores as Galen thought. The blood from the right chamber must flow through the vena arteriosa ( pulmonary artery ) to the lungs, spread through its substances, be mingled there with air, pass through the arteria venosa ( pulmonary vein ) to reach the left chamber of the heart and there form the vital spirit... '' In addition, Ibn al - Nafis had an insight into what would become a larger theory of the capillary circulation. He stated that `` there must be small communications or pores ( manafidh in Arabic ) between the pulmonary artery and vein, '' a prediction that preceded the discovery of the capillary system by more than 400 years. Ibn al - Nafis ' theory, however, was confined to blood transit in the lungs and did not extend to the entire body. Michael Servetus was the first European to describe the function of pulmonary circulation, although his achievement was not widely recognized at the time, for a few reasons. He firstly described it in the `` Manuscript of Paris '' ( near 1546 ), but this work was never published. And later he published this description, but in a theological treatise, Christianismi Restitutio, not in a book on medicine. Only three copies of the book survived but these remained hidden for decades, the rest were burned shortly after its publication in 1553 because of persecution of Servetus by religious authorities. Better known discovery of pulmonary circulation was by Vesalius 's successor at Padua, Realdo Colombo, in 1559. Image of veins from William Harvey 's Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus, 1628 Finally, William Harvey, a pupil of Hieronymus Fabricius ( who had earlier described the valves of the veins without recognizing their function ), performed a sequence of experiments, and published Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus in 1628, which `` demonstrated that there had to be a direct connection between the venous and arterial systems throughout the body, and not just the lungs. Most importantly, he argued that the beat of the heart produced a continuous circulation of blood through minute connections at the extremities of the body. This is a conceptual leap that was quite different from Ibn al - Nafis ' refinement of the anatomy and bloodflow in the heart and lungs. '' This work, with its essentially correct exposition, slowly convinced the medical world. However, Harvey was not able to identify the capillary system connecting arteries and veins ; these were later discovered by Marcello Malpighi in 1661. In 1956, André Frédéric Cournand, Werner Forssmann and Dickinson W. Richards were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine `` for their discoveries concerning heart catheterization and pathological changes in the circulatory system. '' In his Nobel lecture, Forssmann credits Harvey as birthing cardiology with the publication of his book in 1628. In the 1970s, Diana McSherry developed computer - based systems to create images of the circulatory system and heart without the need for surgery. See also Cardiology Vital heat Cardiac muscle Major systems of the human body Amato Lusitano Vascular resistance References Jump up ^ `` circulatory system '' at Dorland 's Medical Dictionary Jump up ^ `` Let 's beat cancer sooner ''. Cancer Research UK. Retrieved April 13, 2017. Jump up ^ `` cardiovascular system '' at Dorland 's Medical Dictionary Jump up ^ `` How does the blood circulatory system work ? ''. PubMed Health. 1 August 2016. ^ Jump up to : Sherwood, Lauralee ( 2011 ). Human Physiology : From Cells to Systems. Cengage Learning. pp. 401 --. ISBN 978 - 1 - 133 - 10893 - 1. Jump up ^ Cardiovascular System at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings ( MeSH ) Jump up ^ Pratt, Rebecca. `` Cardiovascular System : Blood ''. AnatomyOne. Amirsys, Inc. Archived from the original on 2017 - 02 - 24. ^ Jump up to : Guyton, Arthur ; Hall, John ( 2000 ). Guyton Textbook of Medical Physiology ( 10 ed. ). ISBN 072168677X. Jump up ^ National Institutes of Health. `` What Are the Lungs ? ''. nih.gov. Archived from the original on 2014 - 10 - 04. Jump up ^ State University of New York ( February 3, 2014 ). `` The Circulatory System ''. suny.edu. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. 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Jump up ^ Reflections, Chairman 's ( 2004 ). `` Traditional Medicine Among Gulf Arabs, Part II : Blood - letting ''. Heart Views. 5 ( 2 ) : 74 -- 85 ( 80 ). Archived from the original on 2007 - 09 - 11. Jump up ^ West, J.B. ( 2008 ). `` Ibn al - Nafis, the pulmonary circulation, and the Islamic Golden Age ''. Journal of Applied Physiology. 105 ( 6 ) : 1877 -- 1880. doi : 10.1152 / japplphysiol. 91171.2008. PMC 2612469. PMID 18845773. Jump up ^ Gonzalez Etxeberria, Patxi ( 2011 ) Amor a la verdad, el -- vida y obra de Miguel servet ( The love for truth. Life and work of Michael Servetus ). Navarro y Navarro, Zaragoza, collaboration with the Government of Navarra, Department of Institutional Relations and Education of the Government of Navarra. ISBN 8423532666 pp. 215 -- 228 & 62nd illustration ( XLVII ) Jump up ^ Michael Servetus Research Study with graphical proof on the Manuscript of Paris and many other manuscripts and new works by Servetus Jump up ^ Pormann, Peter E. and Smith, E. Savage ( 2007 ) Medieval Islamic medicine Georgetown University, Washington DC, p. 48, ISBN 1589011619. Jump up ^ `` The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1956 ''. Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 2007 - 07 - 28. Jump up ^ `` The Role of Heart Catheterization and Angiocardiography in the Development of Modern Medicine ''. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 08. Jump up ^ Wayne, Tiffany K. ( 2011 ). American women of science since 1900. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC - CLIO. pp. 677 -- 678. ISBN 9781598841589. External links Find more aboutCirculatory systemat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Learning resources from Wikiversity Library resources about Circulatory system Resources in your library http://cnx.org/content/m46646/latest/ The Circulatory System Reiber C.L. & McGaw I.J. ( 2009 ). `` A Review of the `` Open '' and `` Closed '' Circulatory Systems : New Terminology for Complex Invertebrate Circulatory Systems in Light of Current Findings ``. International Journal of Zoology 2009 : 8 pages. doi : 10.1155 / 2009 / 301284. Patwardhan K. The history of the discovery of blood circulation : unrecognized contributions of Ayurveda masters. Adv Physiol Educ. 2012 Jun ; 36 ( 2 ) : 77 -- 82. Michael Servetus Research Study on the Manuscript of Paris by Servetus ( 1546 description of the Pulmonary Circulation ) Anatomy of the heart General Surface base apex sulci coronary interatrial anterior interventricular posterior interventricular borders right left Internal atria interatrial septum pectinate muscles terminal sulcus ventricles interventricular septum trabeculae carneae chordae tendineae papillary muscle valves cusps atrioventricular septum cardiac skeleton intervenous tubercle Chambers Right heart ( venae cavae, coronary sinus ) → right atrium ( atrial appendage, fossa ovalis, limbus of fossa ovalis, crista terminalis, valve of inferior vena cava, valve of coronary sinus ) → tricuspid valve → right ventricle ( infundibulum, moderator band / septomarginal trabecula, crista supraventricularis ), → pulmonary valve → ( pulmonary artery and pulmonary circulation ) Left heart ( pulmonary veins ) → left atrium ( atrial appendage ) → mitral valve → left ventricle → aortic valve ( aortic sinus ) → ( aorta and systemic circulation ) Layers Endocardium heart valves Myocardium Conduction system cardiac pacemaker SA node Bachmann 's bundle AV node bundle of His bundle branches Purkinje fibers Pericardial cavity pericardial sinus Pericardium fibrous pericardium sternopericardial ligaments serous pericardium epicardium / visceral layer fold of left vena cava Blood supply Circulatory system Coronary circulation Coronary arteries Arteries and veins Vessels Arteries Nutrient artery Arteriole Metarteriole Elastic artery Capillaries Types Continuous Fenestrated Sinusoidal Precapillary sphincter Precapillary resistance Veins Vena comitans Superficial vein Deep vein Emissary veins Venous plexus Venule Lymph Lymphatic vessel Lymph Lymph capillary Circulatory system Systemic Left heart → Aorta → Arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cava → ( Right heart ) Pulmonary Right heart → Pulmonary arteries → Lungs → Pulmonary vein → Left heart Microanatomy Microvessel Microcirculation Tunica intima Endothelium Internal elastic lamina Tunica media Tunica externa Vasa vasorum Vasa nervorum Vascular nerves Rete mirabile Circulatory anastomosis Physiology of the cardiovascular system Heart Cardiac output Cardiac cycle Cardiac output Heart rate Stroke volume Stroke volume End - diastolic volume End - systolic volume Afterload Preload Frank -- Starling law Cardiac function curve Venous return curve Wiggers diagram Pressure volume diagram Ultrasound Fractional shortening = ( End - diastolic dimension End - systolic dimension ) / End - diastolic dimension Aortic valve area calculation Ejection fraction Cardiac index Heart rate Cardiac pacemaker Chronotropic ( Heart rate ) Dromotropic ( Conduction velocity ) Inotropic ( Contractility ) Bathmotropic ( Excitability ) Lusitropic ( Relaxation ) Conduction Conduction system Cardiac electrophysiology Action potential cardiac atrial ventricular Effective refractory period Pacemaker potential Electrocardiography P wave PR interval QRS complex QT interval ST segment T wave U wave Hexaxial reference system Chamber pressure Central venous Right atrial ventricular pulmonary artery wedge Left atrial ventricular Aortic Other Ventricular remodeling Vascular system / Hemodynamics Blood flow Compliance Vascular resistance Pulse Perfusion Blood pressure Pulse pressure Systolic Diastolic Mean arterial pressure Jugular venous pressure Portal venous pressure Regulation of BP Baroreflex Kinin -- kallikrein system Renin -- angiotensin system Vasoconstrictors Vasodilators Autoregulation Myogenic mechanism Tubuloglomerular feedback Cerebral autoregulation Paraganglia Aortic body Carotid body Glomus cell Development of the circulatory system Heart Tubular heart Truncus arteriosus Bulbus cordis Primitive ventricle Primitive atrium Sinus venosus Chamber formation Atrioventricular Primary interventricular foramen Endocardial cushions Septum intermedium Atrioventricular canal Atrial Septum primum Foramen secundum Primary interatrial foramen Septum secundum Foramen ovale Other Aorticopulmonary septum Protein signalling in heart development Vessels Arteries Dorsal aorta Aortic arches Aortic sac Veins Anterior cardinal vein Posterior cardinal vein Common cardinal veins Lymph vessels Lymph sacs Extraembryonic hemangiogenesis Blood islands Chorion Connecting stalk Yolk sac Placenta Fetal circulation umbilical cord : Umbilical vein → Ductus venosus → Inferior vena cava → Heart → Pulmonary artery → Ductus arteriosus → Aorta → Umbilical artery yolk sac : Vitelline veins Vitelline arteries Cardiovascular disease ( heart ) ( I00 -- I52, 390 -- 429 ) Ischaemic Coronary disease Coronary artery disease ( CAD ) Coronary artery aneurysm Spontaneous coronary artery dissection ( SCAD ) Coronary thrombosis Coronary vasospasm Myocardial bridge Active ischemia Angina pectoris Prinzmetal 's angina Stable angina Acute coronary syndrome Myocardial infarction Unstable angina Sequelae hours Hibernating myocardium Myocardial stunning days Myocardial rupture weeks Aneurysm of heart / Ventricular aneurysm Dressler syndrome Layers Pericardium Pericarditis Acute Chronic / Constrictive Pericardial effusion Cardiac tamponade Hemopericardium Myocardium Myocarditis Chagas disease Cardiomyopathy Dilated Alcoholic Hypertrophic Restrictive Loeffler endocarditis Cardiac amyloidosis Endocardial fibroelastosis Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia Endocardium / valves Endocarditis infective endocarditis Subacute bacterial endocarditis non-infective endocarditis Libman -- Sacks endocarditis Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis Valves mitral regurgitation prolapse stenosis aortic stenosis insufficiency tricuspid stenosis insufficiency pulmonary stenosis insufficiency Conduction / arrhythmia Bradycardia Sinus bradycardia Sick sinus syndrome Heart block : Sinoatrial AV 1 ° 2 ° 3 ° Intraventricular Bundle branch block Right Left Left anterior fascicle Left posterior fascicle Bifascicular Trifascicular Adams -- Stokes syndrome Tachycardia ( paroxysmal and sinus ) Supraventricular Atrial Multifocal Junctional AV nodal reentrant Junctional ectopic Ventricular Accelerated idioventricular rhythm Catecholaminergic polymorphic Torsades de pointes Premature contraction Atrial Junctional Ventricular Pre-excitation syndrome Lown -- Ganong -- Levine Wolff -- Parkinson -- White Flutter / fibrillation Atrial flutter Ventricular flutter Atrial fibrillation Familial Ventricular fibrillation Pacemaker Ectopic pacemaker / Ectopic beat Multifocal atrial tachycardia Pacemaker syndrome Parasystole Wandering pacemaker Long QT syndrome Andersen -- Tawil Jervell and Lange - Nielsen Romano -- Ward Cardiac arrest Sudden cardiac death Asystole Pulseless electrical activity Sinoatrial arrest Other / ungrouped hexaxial reference system Right axis deviation Left axis deviation QT Short QT syndrome T wave alternans ST Osborn wave ST elevation ST depression Strain pattern Cardiomegaly Ventricular hypertrophy Left Right / Cor pulmonale Atrial enlargement Left Right Other Cardiac fibrosis Heart failure Diastolic heart failure Cardiac asthma Rheumatic fever Human systems and organs Musculoskeletal Skeletal system Bone Carpus Collar bone ( clavicle ) Thigh bone ( femur ) Fibula Humerus Mandible Metacarpus Metatarsus Ossicles Patella Phalanges Radius Skull Tarsus Tibia Ulna Rib Vertebra Pelvis Sternum Cartilage Joints Fibrous joint Cartilaginous joint Synovial joint Muscular system Muscle Tendon Diaphragm Circulatory system Cardiovascular system peripheral Artery Vein Lymphatic vessel Heart Lymphatic system primary Bone marrow Thymus secondary Spleen Lymph node CNS equivalent Glymphatic system Nervous system Brain Spinal cord Nerve Sensory system Ear Eye Integumentary system Skin Subcutaneous tissue Breast Mammary gland Immune system Myeloid Myeloid immune system Lymphoid Lymphoid immune system Respiratory system Upper Nose Nasopharynx Larynx Lower Trachea Bronchus Lung Digestive system Mouth Salivary gland Tongue upper GI Oropharynx Laryngopharynx Esophagus Stomach lower GI Small intestine Appendix Colon Rectum Anus accessory Liver Biliary tract Pancreas Urinary system Genitourinary system Kidney Ureter Bladder Urethra Reproductive system Female Uterus Vagina Vulva Ovary Placenta Male Scrotum Penis Prostate Testicle Seminal vesicle Endocrine system Pituitary Pineal Thyroid Parathyroid Adrenal Islets of Langerhans Diving medicine, physiology, physics and environment Diving medicine Injuries and disorders Pressure Oxygen Freediving blackout Hyperoxia Hypoxia ( medical ) Oxygen toxicity Inert gases Atrial septal defect Avascular necrosis Decompression sickness Dysbaric osteonecrosis High - pressure nervous syndrome Hydrogen narcosis Isobaric counterdiffusion Nitrogen narcosis Taravana Uncontrolled decompression Carbon dioxide Hypercapnia Hypocapnia Aerosinusitis Air embolism Alternobaric vertigo Barodontalgia Barostriction Barotrauma Compression arthralgia Decompression illness Dental barotrauma Dysbarism Ear clearing Frenzel maneuver Valsalva maneuver Immersion Asphyxia Drowning Hypothermia Immersion diuresis Instinctive drowning response Laryngospasm Salt water aspiration syndrome Swimming - induced pulmonary edema List of signs and symptoms of diving disorders Cramps Diving disorders Motion sickness Surfer 's ear Treatments Diving chamber Diving medicine Hyperbaric medicine Hyperbaric treatment schedules In - water recompression Oxygen therapy Fitness to dive Diving physiology Artificial gills ( human ) Blood -- air barrier Blood shift Breathing Circulatory system CO2 retention Cold shock response Dead space ( physiology ) Decompression ( diving ) Decompression theory Diving reflex Gas exchange History of decompression research and development Lipid Maximum operating depth Metabolism Normocapnia Oxygen window in diving decompression Perfusion Physiological response to water immersion Physiology of decompression Pulmonary circulation Respiratory exchange ratio Respiratory quotient Respiratory system Systemic circulation Tissue ( biology ) Diving physics Ambient pressure Amontons ' law Anti-fog Archimedes ' principle Atmospheric pressure Boyle 's law Breathing performance of regulators Buoyancy Charles 's law Combined gas law Dalton 's law Diffusion Force Gay - Lussac 's law Henry 's law Hydrophobe Hydrostatic pressure Ideal gas law Molecular diffusion Neutral buoyancy Oxygen fraction Partial pressure Permeation Pressure Psychrometric constant Snell 's law Solubility Solution Supersaturation Surface tension Surfactant Torricellian chamber Underwater vision Weight Diving environment Algal bloom Breaking wave Ocean current Current ( stream ) Ekman transport Halocline List of diving hazards and precautions Longshore drift Rip current Stratification Surf Surge ( wave action ) Thermocline Tides Turbidity Undertow ( water waves ) Upwelling Researchers in diving medicine and physiology Arthur J. Bachrach Albert R. Behnke Paul Bert George F. Bond Robert Boyle Albert A. Bühlmann John R Clarke William Paul Fife John Scott Haldane Robert William Hamilton Jr. Leonard Erskine Hill Brian Andrew Hills Felix Hoppe - Seyler Christian J. Lambertsen Simon Mitchell Charles Momsen John Rawlins R.N. Charles Wesley Shilling Edward D. Thalmann Jules Triger Diving medical research organisations Aerospace Medical Association Divers Alert Network ( DAN ) Diving Diseases Research Centre ( DDRC ) Diving Medical Advisory Council ( DMAC ) European Diving Technology Committee ( EDTC ) European Underwater and Baromedical Society ( EUBS ) National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory Royal Australian Navy School of Underwater Medicine Rubicon Foundation South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society ( SPUMS ) Southern African Underwater and Hyperbaric Medical Association ( SAUHMA ) Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society ( UHMS ) United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit ( NEDU ) Categories : Diving medicine Underwater diving physiology Underwater diving physics Physical oceanography Glossary Portal GND : 4134345 - 1 NDL : 00575112 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Circulatory_system&oldid=835586650 '' Categories : Circulatory system Exercise physiology Angiology Hidden categories : Pages with unresolved properties Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages Articles with short description Articles to be expanded from March 2015 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes All pages needing factual verification Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from September 2010 All articles with failed verification Articles with failed verification from June 2010 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Wikiversity Alemannisch Aragonés অসমীয়া Asturianu Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Brezhoneg Буряад Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch ދިވެހިބަސް Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Fiji Hindi Français Frysk Galego ગુજરાતી 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ilokano Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Íslenska Italiano עברית ಕನ್ನಡ Kapampangan ქართული Қазақша Kiswahili Kreyòl ayisyen Kurdî Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Limburgs Magyar Македонски മലയാളം मराठी Bahasa Melayu မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی پښتو ភាសា ខ្មែរ Plattdüütsch Polski Português Runa Simi Русиньскый Русский Саха тыла Shqip Simple English سنڌي Slovenčina Slovenščina Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Suomi Tagalog தமிழ் Татарча / tatarça తెలుగు ไทย Тоҷикӣ Українська اردو ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche Tiếng Việt Winaray ייִדיש 粵語 中文 93 more Edit links This page was last edited on 9 April 2018, at 16 : 06. 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Question: what is the main function of the cardiovascular system
Answer: permits blood to circulate and transport nutrients (such as amino acids and electrolytes), oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones, and blood cells to and from the cells in the body to provide nourishment and help in fighting diseases, stabilize temperature and pH, and maintain homeostasis