06 CVS1 Circulatory systems

Anatomy of the Circulatory Systems

  • Overview of the Circulatory System: Includes Systemic and Pulmonary Circulation.

Types of Circulatory Systems

  • Blood Circulatory Systems:

    • Systemic: Transports oxygenated blood to the body and returns deoxygenated blood to the heart.

    • Pulmonary: Carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs and oxygenated blood back to the heart.

    • Specialised Circulatory Systems:

      • Portal circulation: Not included in this series.

      • Coronary circulation: Discussed in heart video.

      • Foetal circulation: Discussed in heart video.

  • Function of Circulatory Systems:

    • Transport of essential substances:

      • Oxygen (via Red Blood Cells - RBCs)

      • Nutrients

      • Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

      • Metabolic waste

      • Immune cells (via White Blood Cells - WBCs)

      • Hormones

Blood Circulatory System

  • Closed Circuit:

    • Arteries: Carry blood away from the heart.

    • Veins: Return blood back to the heart.

    • Capillaries: Located between arteries and veins; sites of gas exchange.

Differences Between Arteries and Veins

  • Arteries:

    • Function: Carry blood away from the heart.

  • Veins:

    • Function: Return blood to the heart.

Systemic Circulation

  • Characteristics:

    • High pressure system (arterial side).

    • Transports oxygen-rich blood from the left side of the heart to body tissues.

    • Returns oxygen-poor blood from tissues back to the right side of the heart.

Major Vessels of Systemic Circulation

  • Key Arteries:

    • Aortic arch, Brachial, Radial, Ulnar, Femoral, Popliteal, Posterior tibial.

  • Key Veins:

    • Common carotid, Aorta, Dorsalis pedis, Superior vena cava, Internal jugular, Inferior vena cava, Brachiocephalic.

  • Note: Most veins have the same name as the corresponding artery, with some exceptions.

Applications of Circulatory Knowledge

  • Finding Pulses: Knowing where arteries are located helps calculate heart rate by taking the pulse:

    • Radial pulse

    • Carotid pulse

    • Brachial pulse

    • Femoral pulse

    • Popliteal pulse

    • Posterior tibial pulse

    • Dorsalis pedis pulse

Pulmonary Circulation

  • Characteristics:

    • Low pressure system.

    • Transports blood low in oxygen from the right side of the heart to the lungs.

    • Returns oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left side of the heart.

  • Key Vessels:

    • Pulmonary Arteries: Carry deoxygenated blood away from the heart to the lungs.

    • Pulmonary Veins: Carry oxygenated blood towards the heart.

Summary of Blood Circulation

  • Circulation Pathway:

    • Blood travels from the lungs to the systemic circuit and body organs and tissues.