Circulatory system

The circulatory system is one of the most important systems in the human body
and is comprised of many parts. The circulatory system is made up of three main
elements - the heart, blood vessels and blood.
The heart is made up of four chambers: the right atrium and right ventricle and
the left atrium and left ventricle. The right atrium collects deoxygenated blood
from the body and pumps it into the right ventricle. it is then pumped through
the pulmonary artery to the lungs and re-oxygenated. From the lungs, the newly
re-oxygenated blood travels through the pulmonary vein into the left atrium
where it is pumped into the left ventricle. From here it is pumped to the rest of
the body to nourish and provide oxygen.
Another important part of the circulatory system is the blood vessels. Blood
vessels act like pipes through which blood is pumped reaching every cell in the
body. The three main types of blood vessels are capillaries, vein and arteries.
Capillaries are used to transport the oxygen and nutrient rich blood to each cell
and carry away the carbon-dioxide and other waste products. Vein and arteries
are very similar in the way they are larger tubes that attach to one end of a set
of capillaries and carry the blood. They also have one major difference in that
veins carry oxygen and nutrient rich blood and arteries carry deoxygenated
blood as well as the waste products of the cells and excess nutrients.
The final and possibly most important part of the circulatory system is the blood.
Blood is made of four main elements: Plasma, White Blood Cells, Red Blood Cells
and Platelets. Plasma makes up 55% of the blood and is a liquid that is used to
transport the other elements of the blood. White Blood Cells, scientifically known
as Leukocytes, are split into two categories, Lymphocytes and Phagocytes and
make up around 1% of the blood. White blood cells protect the body from disease
and infection. Lymphocytes protect the body by releasing antibodies into the
blood to attack foreign bodies. Phagocytes on the other hand engulf the foreign
body and digest it. Red Blood Cells, scientifically known as Erythrocytes, are very
different from white blood cells as red blood cells are what provide the bodys
cells with oxygen. Red blood cells make up approximately 50% of the blood and
not only carry oxygen to the cells but carry carbon dioxide away from the cells to
the lungs where it can be released into the air. Platelets are often mistaken as
cells but they are in fact not. Platelets are small shards of larger cells that help
the blood to clot. They are scientifically known as Thrombocytes and only make
up a tiny portion of our blood.
The purpose of the circulatory system is to transport the much needed
nourishment to the body and distribute other important chemicals around the
body. The nourishment the circulatory system transports includes oxygen,
glucose, micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals), amino acid and glycerol. The
circulatory system also transfers hormones, platelets and blood cells as well as
removing toxins, excess nutrients and salt in addition to eliminating waste
products and carbon-dioxide from cells. In addition to this, the circulatory system
also helps control Ph and body temperature.