systemic circulation

Systemic circulation is the portion of the cardiovascular system which carries oxygenated blood away from the heart, to the body, and returns deoxygenated blood back to the heart. The term is contrasted with pulmonary circulation.^[1]

Course

In the systemic circulation, arteries bring oxygenated blood to the tissues. As blood circulates through the body, oxygen diffuses from the blood into cells surrounding the capillaries, and carbon dioxide diffuses into the blood from the capillary cells. Veins bring deoxygenated blood back to the heart.

Arteries

Oxygenated blood enters the systemic circulation when leaving the left ventricle, through the aortic semi-lunar valve. The first part of the systemic circulation is the artery aorta, a massive and thick-walled artery. The aorta arches and gives off major arteries to the upper body before piercing the diaphragm in order to supply the lower parts of the body with its various branches.

Capillaries

Blood passes from arteries to arterioles and finally to capillaries, which are the thinnest and most numerous of the blood vessels. These capillaries help to join tissue with arterioles for transportation of nutrition to the cells, which absorb oxygen and nutrients in the blood. Peripheral tissues do not fully deoxygenate the blood, so venous blood does have oxygen, but in a lower concentration than in arterial blood. In addition, carbon dioxide and wastes are added. The capillaries can only fit one cell at a time.

Venules

The deoxygenated blood is then collected by venules, from where it flows first into veins, and then into the inferior and superior venae cavae, which return it to the right heart, completing the systemic cycle. The blood is then re-oxygenated through the pulmonary circulation before returning again to the systemic circulation.

Veins

The relatively deoxygenated blood collects in the venous system which coalesces into two major veins: the superior vena cava (roughly speaking from areas above the heart) and the inferior vena cava (roughly speaking from areas below the heart). These two great vessels exit the systemic circulation by emptying into the right atrium of the heart. The coronary sinus empties the heart's veins themselves into the right atrium.

Advantage

Because the systemic circulation is powered by the left ventricle (which is very muscular), one advantage of this form of circulation - as opposed to open circulation, or the gill system that fish use to breathe - is that there is simultaneous high-pressure oxygenated blood delivered to all parts of the body.

Summary

From the lungs, the blood goes back to the heart through the pulmonary veins.The oxygenated blood now enters the left atrium.the blood then goes down the into the left ventricle through another valve.this valve also close as the left ventricle starts to pump blood to all parts of the body through the body through the aorta.The aorta is where the oxygenated blood passes on its way to the head, arms, hands, chest, and down to the waist, legs, and feet.At the different body parts, blood delivers nutrients and oxygen, picks up waste materials and flows back to the heart again.the movement of the blood from the left part of the heart to the various parts of the body and back to the heart.

References

1. ^ Maton, Anthea; Jean Hopkins, Charles William McLaughlin, Susan Johnson, Maryanna Quon Warner, David LaHart, Jill D. Wright (1993). Human Biology and Health. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-981176-1. 

Smart Science(Textbooks),Philippines

See also

• Pulmonary circulation
• Double circulatory system