CARDIOVASCULAR

SYSTEM
 The Cardiovascular System
A closed system of the heart and blood vessels
o The heart pumps blood
o Blood vessels allow blood to circulate to all
parts of the body.

The function of the cardiovascular system is to

deliver oxygen and nutrients and to remove
carbon dioxide and other waste products
 The Cardiovascular System
The cardiovascular system is a vast
network of organs and vessels that is responsible
for the flow of blood, nutrients, hormones,
oxygen and other gases to and from cells.
Without the cardiovascular system, the body
would not be able to fight disease or maintain
a stable internal environment — such as proper
temperature and pH — known as homeostasis.
 The Heart
The heart is a cone-shaped
organ about the size of a
clenched fist.
• Location:
– Thorax between the
lungs
– Pointed apex directed
toward left hip
 Structures of the Heart
• Heart coverings
– Pericardium
• Covers the heart and large blood vessels
attached to the heart
• Visceral pericardium
–Innermost layer
–Directly on the heart
• Parietal pericardium
–Layer on top of the visceral pericardium
 Structures of the Heart
• Heart walls:
– Epicardium
• Outermost layer
• Fat to cushion heart

– Myocardium
• Middle layer
• Primarily cardiac muscle
Click for Larger View

– Endocardium
• Innermost layer
• Thin and smooth
• Stretches as the heart pumps
 Four Chambers of the Heart
The heart has four chambers: two atria and two
ventricles.

The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood from

the body and pumps it to the right ventricle.
The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-poor blood to
the lungs.
The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the
lungs and pumps it to the left ventricle.
The left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood to
the body.
The heart has 4 valves:
 Tricuspid valve – prevents blood from flowing
back into the right atrium when the right
ventricle contracts
 Bicuspid (mitral) valve – prevents blood from
flowing back into the left atrium when the left
ventricle contracts
 Pulmonary semilunar valve – prevents blood
from flowing back into the right ventricle
 Aortic semilunar valve – prevents blood from
flowing back into the left ventricle
 Blood Flow Through the Heart
Oxygenated
Deoxygenated blood out to
blood in from Oxygenated blood body
body in lungs

Deoxygenated
blood out
to lungs

Atria Contract Ventricles Contract

 Cardiac Cycle
 One heartbeat = one cardiac cycle
 Atria contract and relax
 Ventricles contract and relax

• Right atrium contracts • Left atrium contracts

– Tricuspid valve opens – Bicuspid valve opens
– Blood fills right ventricle – Blood fills left ventricle
• Right ventricle contracts • Left ventricle contracts
– Tricuspid valve closes – Bicuspid valve closes
– Pulmonary semilunar – Aortic semilunar valve
valve opens opens
– Blood flows into
pulmonary artery – Blood pushed into aorta
 Blood Circulation
• Pulmonary circuit
Pulmonary circulation transports deoxygenated blood
from the right side of the heart to the lungs where the blood
picks up oxygen and returns to the left side of the heart. The
pumping chambers of the heart that support the pulmonary
circulation loop are the right atrium and right ventricle.
right atrium  right ventricle  pulmonary artery trunk 
pulmonary arteries  lungs  pulmonary veins  heart
(left atrium)
 Blood Circulation
• Systemic circuit
Systemic circulation carries highly
oxygenated blood from the left side of the
heart to all of the tissues of the body (with
the exception of the heart and lungs).
Systemic circulation removes wastes from
body tissues and returns deoxygenated blood
to the right side of the heart. The left atrium
and left ventricle of the heart are the
pumping chambers for the systemic
circulation loop.
left atrium  left ventricle  aorta 
arteries  arterioles  capillaries 
venules  veins  vena cava  heart
(right atrium)
 Blood Types
Blood Type Antigen Antibody Blood That Can
Present Present Be Received
A A B A and O

B B A B and O

AB AB None A, B, AB, and

O
O None A and B O
 Summary
The cardiovascular system is the blood’s transportation
system. The cardiovascular system includes the heart, blood, and
blood vessels. The heart acts as a pump to transport and
regulate the flow of blood through a series of blood vessels:
arteries, veins, and capillaries. Arteries are thick-walled vessels
that carry blood away from the heart to the tissues. The
thickened muscular walls of the arteries allow them to withstand
the force of the blood that is pumped from the heart. Veins carry
blood back to the heart. The blood flowing through the veins is
at a lower pressure than that in the arteries. Therefore, veins
have thinner walls than arteries. Veins also contain valves so that
the blood does not flow backward. Arteries do not contain valves
because the blood flow is pushed along by the blood pumped by
the heart. A network of capillaries connects veins and arteries.
 References
https://www.livescience.com/22486-circulatory-
system.html
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/condi
tions.aspx?hwid=tp10241
http://www.innerbody.com/image/cardov.html