The Circulatory

System
Heart and Blood vessels

The Circulatory System

In a single celled organism,

nutrients and gases enter the cell
through simple diffusion.

A circulatory system is necessary in

any organism that is too large or
complex for simple diffusion.

To be effective, the circulatory

system needs to be intimately
connected to all tissues in the body.

Your circulatory system is composed

of a central pump that may pump
blood over 2.5 billion times through
96000 km of blood vessels in a
lifetime. In one minute the average
heart will beat 80 times and send
blood through a complete circuit
(around 15km) 3 times

The circulatory system has

4 main functions:
1) Transportation of gases (from breathing
and cellular respiration), nutrient
molecules (from digestion) and wastes.
2) The regulation of body temperature and
water balance (homeostatic regulation)
3) The transport of chemical messengers
called hormones
4) The protection of the body by
transporting white blood cells and
platelets to areas of injury and infection.
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The circulatory system can

be broken down into 3 main
components:
1) The Blood Vessels: Serve as
roadways through which the blood
flows.
2) The Heart: an organ that pushes blood
through the body with its pumping
action that generates blood flow.
3) The Blood: Serves as a transport
medium for materials and cells.
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1) The Blood Vessels: There

are 3 types of blood vessels:

Arteries- carry oxygen-rich blood away

from the heart.
Arteries have 3 layers and the walls are
very thick and elastic. This allows them to
flex when the heart pumps and then snap
back during relaxation. This helps to force
the blood through the arteries in the right
direction.
Arteries can contract and relax to change
their diameter. This process is called
vasoconstriction (make diameter smaller)
or vasodilation (make diameter larger).
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Cross sectional view of

an artery

Veins- carry oxygen poor blood

toward the heart.
Veins have thinner walls than
arteries and are not as elastic.
Veins cannot contract to force blood
back to the heart. Contractions of
the skeletal muscles squeeze the
veins and forces blood along them.

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One way valves inside the veins

make sure blood does not travel the
wrong way. This is especially
important in the legs where blood
has to overcome gravity.

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Capillaries- are the smallest

blood vessels. 10 capillaries could
fit into the diameter of a human
hair.
Capillary walls are one cell thick
and are only big enough so that
blood cells can only pass through
in single file. This is where the
exchange of matter between the
blood and body cells takes place.
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Capillaries

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Capillary Bed

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Path of blood:
The human circulatory system is a CLOSED system, blood cells
travels the same path and never leaves the system
Heart Arteries Arterioles Capillaries Venules
Veins Back to Heart

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The Heart

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A human heart is about the size of 2

fists held together at the knuckles. It
is surrounded by a fluid filled sac
called the pericardium. The heart is
located slightly to the left of the
middle of the chest.

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The heart pumps blood through the

body in one direction and must
keep oxygen poor blood and oxygen
rich blood separate.

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The walls of the heart are made of a

special muscle tissue called cardiac
muscle tissue. Cardiac muscle cells
contract rhythmically and
involuntarily.

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Mammalian hearts have 4 chambers; the

top two are called Atria (singularatrium) and the bottom two chambers
are called ventricles.

Atria: act as holding chambers. Fill with

blood returning from the body and the lungs

Ventricles: Receive blood from the atria and

pump blood to the lungs and the body.
Ventricles are thick and muscular because
they have to pump blood greater distances.
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The right and left sides of the heart are

separated by a thick wall called the
septum.
The atria and the ventricles are
separated by valves called the
atrioventricular valves (AV valves). These
valves make sure there is no back-flow
from the ventricles back into the atria.
These valves are attached to small
muscles by bands of connective tissue
called cordae tendonae
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The vessels that carry the blood are

organized into 3 different pathways :

Pulmonary pathway
Systemic pathway
Coronary pathway

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Pulmonary pathway- This

pathway carries oxygen poor blood
to the lungs. In the lungs carbon
dioxide diffuses out of the blood
and oxygen returns to the blood.
The pathway continues as oxygen
rich blood returns to the left side of
the heart.

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Systemic pathway- This pathway

carries oxygen rich blood from the
left ventricle of the heart to the
body tissues via the aorta.

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Coronary pathway- The heart does not

use the blood inside its chambers to get
nutrients and remove wastes.

Separate blood vessels must supply the

cardiac muscle cells with blood.
As soon as blood enters the aorta, two
coronary arteries branch off. These arteries
continue to branch even more so that the
entire surface of the heart is blanketed with a
network of blood vessels.
Coronary veins carry blood away from the
surface of the heart and back to the right side
of the heart so it can return to the lungs.

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Coronary Arteries

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The Heart and Blood

Flow

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The Right side of the Heart: receives

oxygen poor blood coming back from
the body and then pumps it to the lungs
so it can be filled with oxygen

Two large blood vessels called the vena

cavae bring blood to the right atrium from
the body tissues. The superior vena cava
brings oxygen poor blood back from tissues
in the head, chest and arms. The inferior
vena cava brings oxygen poor blood to the
right atrium from the organs and lower
extremities.
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From the right atrium, blood flows through

an atrioventricular valve, called the
tricuspid valve (because it is made up of 3
flaps of tissue) into the right ventricle.
Blood from the right ventricle is pumped
through another type of valve called a
semilunar valve into the pulmonary trunk.
The pulmonary trunk branches into the
right and left pulmonary arteries. These
pulmonary arteries bring blood to the
lungs where gas exchange occurs and the
blood is filled with oxygen
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Blood Flow in Right side

of Heart
From body

(inferior/superior) vena cavae

right atrium
right ventricle
pulmonary trunk (arteries)
to lungs
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Blood Flow in Right side

of Heart
Pulmona
ry
Artery
Right
Ventri
cle

Right
Atriu
m
Vena
Cava
e

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Left side of the heart: receives

oxygenated blood from the lungs
and pumps it to the body tissues.
The oxygen-rich blood flows from the
right and left lungs back to the heart
through the pulmonary veins. Oxygen
rich blood arrives to the left atria.
The left atria pumps blood through
another atrioventricular valve called the
bicuspid valve (because it is made up of
2 flaps of tissue) or mitral into the left
ventricle.

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The left ventricle is very strong and

is thickly muscled as is has to pump
blood to the entire body.
Blood leaves the left ventricle
through another semilunar valve and
enters the aorta. The aorta is the
largest blood vessel in the body and
it branches into large arteries to
allow blood to be carried throughout
the body.
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Blood Flow on Left side

of Heart
From Lungs
Pulmonary Veins
Left atrium
Left ventricle
Aorta
to Body
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Blood Flow on Left side

of heart
Pulmona
ry Vein
Aorta
Left
Atrium
Left
Ventri
cle

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Simple overview of blood

flow; Draw in your notes
and fill in the arrows
Pulmona
ry
Arteries
Right
Atria
Right
Ventricle

Pulmona
ry Vein

Left
Atria

Left
Ventricle
Aort
a

Vena
Cavae
Right side

Left side
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The heart goes through 3

phases:

Diastole: When the heart is relaxed as it recovers

between contractions
Atrial Systole: When the atria contract to push blood
into the ventricles, through the AV valves (the
ventricles remain relaxed but fill with blood)
Ventricular Systole: Now the atria relax and the
ventricles contract to push the blood into the arteries.
This closes the AV valves and causes the first heart
sound (LUBB)
The heart now relaxes again (diastole) and the
semilunar valves close to prevent blood flowing back
into the ventricles. This causes the second heart
sound ( Dubb)
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The Heart Beat

Cardiac muscle cells are unique in

that they beat on their own, and cells
will send messages to adjoining cells
to coordinate the contractions and
relaxations.
The beat of an entire heart is much
more complex than the beating of
individual cardiac muscle cells
however.
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The heart beat is controlled by an

electrical impulse which originates
from the heart itself.

A bundle of specialized muscle and

nerve fibers called the Sinoatrial
(SA) Node stimulate the cardiac
muscle fibers of the heart to
contract and relax rhythmically.

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The SA Node is also called the

pacemaker and is located in the wall of
the right atrium. An electrical impulse
from the SA node causes both atria to
contract simultaneously. As the impulse
travels down the heart (from top to
bottom) it hits node called the
atrioventricular (AV) Node.

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The AV node transmits the electrical

impulse through a bundle of specialized
fibres called the Bundle of His (also
know as bundle fibres)
The impulse continues toward the
bottom of the heart where it is passed
through fast conducting fibres called
Purkinji fibres. These fibres of nerve
cells cause the two ventricles to
contract simultaneously.
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SA Node sends impulse

Atria contract
AV Node continues to transmit impulse
Bundle of His
Purkinji Fibres
Ventricles contract
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Bundl
e of
His

Purkinji
Fibres

1) SA node fires, caused Atria to contract simultaneously

2) AV node recieves impulse and passes it to Bundle of
His (bundle branches)
3) Impulse passed to Purkinji Fibres
4) Ventricles contract simultaneously

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Electrocardiogram

A device known as an
electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
measures the changes in voltage of
the heart. This can be used as a
diagnostic tool to show
abnormalities in heart beat.

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ECG or EKG reading

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Interpreting ECG

P wave shows the

SA node being
excited and the atria
contracting
QRS waves - show
the electrical activity
just before the
ventricles contract
T wave- shows the
ventricles relaxing
just before another
cycle begins.
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Abnormal ECG

This picture shows an ECG (electrocardiogram, EKG) of a

person with an abnormal rhythm (arrhythmia) called an
atrioventricular (AV) block. P waves show that the top of
the heart received electrical activity. Each P wave is
usually followed by the tall (QRS) waves. QRS waves
reflect the electrical activity that causes the heart to
contract. When a P wave is present and not followed by a
QRS wave (and heart contraction), there is an
atrioventricular block, and a very slow pulse (bradycardia ).

Normal

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Heart rate is influenced by autonomic

(automatic) nerves originating in the brain and
spinal cord.
At times of stress, the sympathetic nerves speed
up heart rate so more blood can be pumped to
muscles. Hormones such as epinephrine
(adrenaline) can have the same effect. If heart
rates exceed 100 beats per minute, this is
known as tachycardia (tachys- swift kardiaheart)
At times of relaxation the parasympathetic
nerves slow heart rate down. A very slow heart
rate of less than 60 beats per minute is known
as bradycadia (bradys- slow kardia- heart)
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Ventricular fibrillation

The heart beats when electrical

signals move through it. Ventricular
fibrillation is a condition in which
the heart's electrical activity
becomes disordered. When this
happens, the heart's lower
(pumping) chambers contract in a
rapid, unsynchronized way. (The
ventricles "flutter" rather than
beat.) The heart pumps little or no
blood.
Ventricular fibrillation is very
serious. Collapse and sudden
cardiac death will follow in minutes
unless medical help is provided
immediately. If treated in time, V
fib and ventricular tachycardia
(extremely rapid heartbeat) can be
converted into normal rhythm. This
requires shocking the heart with a
device called a defibrillator

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Blood pressure

As blood passes through the vessels

it exerts pressure against the vessel
walls. This pressure changes
depending on what phase the heart
is in. As you get further from the
heart, blood pressure decrease.
Arteries have the highest pressure
and veins have to lowest pressures.
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Systolic pressure- This is the

maximum pressure in a blood vessel
and it happens when the muscular
ventricles contract.
Diastolic pressure- This is the lowest
pressure and is measured just before
the ventricles contract.
Blood pressure is measured using a
sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff)
and is measured in mmHg (millimeters of
mercury)
A health young person should have a
systolic pressure of 120 mmHg and a
diastolic pressure of 80 mmHg or 120 over
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80 (120/80)

Sphygmomanometer

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Exercise, stress, caffeine, nicotine, drugs,

more or less blood in the circulatory system
and an unhealthy heart can cause changes
to blood pressure.
Blood pressure that is too high is
dangerous as it can damage blood vessels,
damage kidneys, cause blindness and heart
attacks and strokes.
Low blood pressure can cause dizziness,
blurred vision, fainting and oxygen
depravation of the tissues which could lead
to death. Low blood pressure can be caused
by standing up too fast, dehydration, blood
loss, drugs, heart failure etc
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Cardiac output and Stroke

volume
Stroke volume = The amount of blood contained

in the left ventricle of the heart. This is dependent

on how stretchy the ventricle is and how
powerfull the veinus return of blood to the heart is.
Cardiac output = the amount of blood pumped by
the heart in one minute. This is an indicator of
how much oxygen is being pumped to the body.
Cardiac output is determained by the rate of heart
beat (how often blood is pumped) multiplied by the
stroke volume (how much blood is bumped with
each beat)
The average man has a stroke volume of about
70mL and a heart rate of about 70 beats per
minute. The average cardiac output would be
about 4900 mL/min
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Fitness and the Heart

A low resting heart rate is a good indicator of

how efficient the heart is. Cardiovascular exercise
increases the size of the ventricular chambers and
increases stroke volume so the heart has to work
less and therefore beat slower.
If the heart has to beat less and still maintains a
good cardiac output then the heart is working very
efficiently.
Another indicator of cardiovascular fitness is the
amount of time it takes for your heart to recover
from vigorous exercise. The quicker your heart
returns to resting after exercise the more fit your
heart is.
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Cardiovascular Disorders

Cardiovascular disease is the

number one killer of Canadians. It is
highly preventable by changing
lifestyle ( exercise, weight loss, quit
smoking, healthier eating).

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Arteriosclerosis

thickening of the arterial walls.

Arteries lose elasticity. Arteries may
narrow due to fatty buildup and cause
a decrease in blood flow or even a
clot which inhibits blood flow
completely which can cause heart
attacks and stroke. May be corrected
with medication, angioplasty,
coronary bypass or vascular stent.
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Arteriosclerosis

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Heart attack

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Angioplasty

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Inserting a stent to
stabilize the artery

Wire stent
on
angioplast
y balloon

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Coronary Bypass

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Problems with valves,

heart structures or the
electrical functioning of
the heart can be caused
by birth defects or
acquired later in life.
Heart murmurs are
caused by the misflow of
blood through the heart.
Operations can fix these
types of problems. In
severe cases heart
transplants must be done

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