The Circulatory System By: Jacob, Clarice , Victor , and Lilia

The Circulatory System’s Job The Circulatory System job is transporting nutrients, water and oxygen throughout the entire body/cells. It carries away wastes such as carbon dioxide that body cells produce. It is an amazing network of blood vessels (capillaries, arteries and veins) that travels through your entire body connecting all your body cells.

Red blood cells Red blood cells, also called erythrocytes, are the most abundant (existing or available in large quantities) cell type in the blood . Other major blood components include plasma, white blood cells, and platelets. The primary function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen to body cells and deliver carbon dioxide to the lungs . A red blood cell has what is known as a biconcave shape. Both sides of the cell's surface curve inward like the inside of a sphere. This shape helps a red blood cell maneuver through blood vessels to deliver oxygen to organs and tissues.

White Blood Cells White blood cells is a blood component that protects the body from infectious agents. Also, they called leukocytes. White blood cells play an important role in the immune system by identifying, destroying, and removing pathogens(something that can cause disease), damaged cells, cancerous cells, and foreign matter from the body. White blood cells come from bone marrow stem cells and circulate in blood and lymph fluid. White blood cells are able to leave blood vessels to migrate to body tissues.

The left side of heart The left side of the heart gets the oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it to the body. The heart has four chambers (two for each side of heart) and four valves. The two chambers in the left side of the heart are the left atrium and the right ventricle. The heart is connected to various blood vessels.

Arteries   An artery is an elastic blood vessel that transports blood away from the heart to the capillaries. Pulmonary arteries carries blood from the heart to the lungs where the blood picks up oxygen. Systemic arteries deliver blood to the rest of the body. The aorta is the main systemic artery. It goes from the heart and branches out into smaller arteries.

Capillaries A capillary is a very small blood vessel located in the tissues of the body that gives blood from arteries to veins . Most capillaries are in tissues and organs that are working and active. Capillaries are so small that red blood cells can only travel through them in single file. Capillaries measure in size from about 5-10 microns in diameter.

Veins A vein is an other elastic blood vessel that transports blood from various regions of the body to the heart. Veins can be categorized into four main types: pulmonary, systemic, superficial, and deep veins. Pulmonary veins carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. Systemic veins return deoxygenated blood from the rest of the body to the right atrium of the heart.

The right side of the heart The right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen and drop off waste such as carbon dioxide. The two chambers in the right side of the heart are the right atrium and the right ventricle.

Interesting Facts Red blood cells live 100-120 days. The aorta is the largest artery in the body. Big bodies have slower heart rates. Human blood comes in different colors, but not blue. With a tiny droplet of blood 5 MILLION red blood cells are found.

Common Diseases in the Circulatory System 1. Arteriosclerosis is caused by fat build up that stiffens vessels and stop blood flow. 2. Hypertension is high blood pressure that presses against the artery wall. 3. Aortic Aneurysm occurs when a section of the aorta stretches or swells. 4.Heart disease occurs when the blood vessels that supplies oxygen narrow and stiffen. 5. Varicose veins occurs when veins twist and swell.

Systems linked with the circulatory system… The respiratory system- The respiratory system collects oxygen in the lungs so the red blood cells can carry it to the the cells in the body. Also, blood cells drop off carbon dioxide to be exhaled. The respiratory system wouldn’t have any thing to do if the circulatory system didn’t work. The digestive system- In the small intestines, the nutrients are absorbed. The nutrients go into the blood stream and is then, transported around the body. If the circulatory system didn’t work, the nutrients from food can’t go anywhere. ★Note: if the circulatory system didn’t work, the cells won’t get nutrients…

Sources Biology.about.com Macroevelution.net Healthtap.com Ucfsd.org Teenhealthandwellness.com http://www.md-health.com Scblood.weebly.com Health.sjm.com Greenmedinfo.com mananatomy.com http://www.brookdalehospital.org/patient-services/blood-bank.html http://wwwjasperdcirculatorysystem.blogspot.com/p/connections-to-other-systems.html