THE CARDIOVASCULAR

SYSTEM
Chapter 23 Section 1
THE
CARDIOVASCULAR
(CV) SYSTEM
 An organ that is part of the cardiovascular system

 “Cardio” means heart

 “Vascular” means blood vessel

 Blood vessels – arteries, capillaries, and veins – carry

blood that is pumped by the heart
YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR (CV)
SYSTEM
 Made up of the heart, blood, and blood vessels

 The heart creates pressure when it beats

 Pressure moves blood through the body

 CV system helps to maintain homeostasis

 Carries nutrients
 Removing wastes
 Carries hormones (chemical signals)
THE HEART
 Made of mostly cardiac muscle tissue

 About the size of your fist in the center of your chest

cavity

 Left side of heart carries oxygen rich blood

 Right side of heart carries oxygen poor blood

 There are upper and lower chambers

 Upper chambers: ATRIUM (atria, plural)
 Lower chambers: VENTRICLES
THE HEART (CONTINUED…)
 Valves: flap-like structures between the atria & ventricles;
also where large arteries attach to the heart

 Close to prevent backflow of blood

 “lub-dub, lub-dub” sound of beating heart is caused by valves

closing

 Tricuspid valve: located on right side between chambers (3

flaps)
 Bicuspid (or Mitral) valve: on the left side between
chambers (2 flaps)
 THE HEART

http://www.biologyjunction.com/heart_cross_section1.gif
BLOOD VESSELS
 3 types:
 Arteries – carry blood away from the heart

 Capillaries – tiny vessel where gas exchange occurs

 Veins – carry blood back to the heart

 BLOOD VESSELS

http://www.daviddarling.info/images/blood_vessels.gif
ARTERIES:
 Largest artery in the body: aorta

 Have thick walls

 Contain a layer of smooth muscle

 High pressure (blood pressure)

 Feel your pulse

 Walls can stretch

http://www.jonbarron.org/sites/default/files/images/artery.jpg
CAPILLARIES
 Tiny vessels that allow the exchange of nutrients,
oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other wastes

 Walls are only one cell thick

 Vary narrow

 No cell in the body is more than 3-4 cells away from a

capillary
 CAPILLARIES

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhUdKwzDmA4/S1nCxXuA8gI/AAAAAAAAAZU/tgVjRa4NU_w/s1600/capillary.jpg

http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/lecturesf04am/capillary.gif
VEINS
 After leaving the capillaries, blood enters the veins

 Carry blood back to the heart

 Valves prevent blood backflow

 Skeletal muscle contraction helps push blood back to

heart
 VEINS

http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/230998/230998,1265576888,6/stock-vector-anatomy-of-blood-vessels-from-artery-through-capillaries-to-
vein-labeled-46171528.jpg
TWO TYPES OF CIRCULATION
 The circulation between heart and lungs:
 PULMONARY CIRCULATION
 The flow of blood from the heart to the lungs and back to the
heart through the pulmonary arteries, capillaries, and veins

 The circulation between the heart and the rest of your

body:
 SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION
 The flow of blood from the heart to all parts of the body and
back to the heart
 CIRCULATION LOOPS:

http://www.biosbcc.net/doohan/sample/images/heart/0283circulation.jpg
CARDIOVASCULAR PROBLEMS:
 Causes:
 Smoking, high blood cholesterol, stress, physical inactivity,
heredity…

 Types of problems:
 Atherosclerosis
 High blood pressure (hypertension)
 Heart attack
 Heart failure
BOOK REFERENCE:
 Allen, K.Z. (2007). Holt science & technology life
science. Austin, Texas: Holt, Reinhart and Winston.