Biology — The Circulatory System

What is the circulatory system?

a network of blood, blood vessels, and the heart

What does the circulatory system do?

it supplies cells with oxygen and nutrients, transports hormones, and removes waste

What is the heart made of?

cardiac muscle tissue

What is the heart's basic role?

it acts as a pump that keeps blood flowing

Why does every cell need blood flow?

to receive oxygen and nutrients, and to have waste like carbon dioxide carried away

What does cardiac mean?

related to the heart

What does pulmonary mean?

related to the lungs

What is an artery?

a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart

What is a vein?

a blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart

What is a capillary?

a small blood vessel where oxygen and nutrient exchange happens

What is the aorta?

the main artery that carries blood into the systemic circuit

How many chambers does the heart have?

four, an atrium and a ventricle on each side

What is an atrium?

an upper heart chamber that receives blood

What is a ventricle?

a lower heart chamber that pumps blood

What do the atria and ventricles do?

the atria receive blood and the ventricles pump it

What are the three circulatory circuits?

pulmonary, systemic, and coronary

What is systemic flow?

blood flow to and from the rest of the body

What is pulmonary flow?

blood flow between the heart and lungs

What is coronary flow?

blood flow that serves the heart muscle itself

Which two veins bring blood into the heart from the body?

the superior and inferior vena cava

Do arteries always carry oxygenated blood?

no, the pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood away from the heart

Do veins always carry deoxygenated blood?

no, the pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood toward the heart

What actually defines an artery versus a vein?

direction, arteries carry blood away from the heart and veins carry it toward the heart

Is blood ever actually blue?

no, blood is always red, and veins only look blue through the skin