SYSTEMS CHART: CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Function Name 1. Heart

1- Carry nutrients to cells and waste away (from cells) 2- Helps maintain balance (body temperature and pH) 3- Contains cells to fight disease. 4- Links all parts of the body (highway system)

Structures Description
Muscular pump; 4 chambers; separated into a right and left side by a septum Ear-like; thin- walled chamber; left and right Thick-walled chamber; left and right Flap-like structures

Behavior
Acts as a pump; contraction makes a force that pushes blood Collecting chamber

Contribution to Function
Provides force for movement

a. Atria

b. Ventricles

Pumping chamber

c. Valves

Prevents backflow Provides pathway for movement

2. Blood vessels

Tubes

Transports blood

a. Arteries

Thicker walls; higher pressure

Carry blood away from heart; mostly oxygenated Carry blood towards heart; mostly de-oxygenated Where nutrients and waste are exchanged to/from cells and blood transport materials throughout body Provides the vehicle for nutrients and waste to be carried

b. Veins

Thinner walls; has valves; lower pressure Thinnest (1 cell thick)

c. Capillaries

3. Blood

Fluid

a. Plasma

Liquid part RBC- disk-like shape, no nucleus; red from hemoglobin WBC- larger, nucleus; white blob Platelets- cell fragments

Water to dissolve substances and provide easy flow RBC- carry oxygen WBC- fight infection Platelets blood clotting

b. Blood Cells (RBC, WBC, platelets)

Interconnection

The circulatory system has the following main components. It has a heart that acts as a pump and creates a force to push blood. Blood which acts as a carrier of the nutrients and wastes pass through a network of tubes or blood vessels that serve as a pathway for blood. These components work together to perform its function and have special features (e.g. thick walls) that allow for efficiency in behavior. Loop 1: right atrium valve right ventricle valve pulmonary artery capillaries in the lungs pulmonary vein left atrium Loop 2: left atrium valve left ventricle aorta valve arteries and then capillaries in body veins vena cava right atrium If we were missing one structure, then we would die because we wouldnt have a way to efficiently get oxygen and nutrients to our cells (starve/suffocate) or any way to remove waste (get poisoned)

The Heart as a Pump System

Function Structure Name 1. Atria Description Ear-like; thin-walled upper chamber; left and right Pumping chamber Behavior Contribution to Function Acts as a pump; creates a force that pushes blood

Collection

2. Ventricles

Actual pump

3. Valves

Flap-like structures; tough Carries oxygenated blood (OB) to rest of the body Major vein that leads into the right atrium Artery that arises from right ventricle and leads to lung Brings OB from lung back to the heart Tiny blood vessels along exterior of heart Brings OB to the heart muscles Drains DOB from heart muscles to the right atrium Brings deoxygenated blood (DOB) back to the heart

Maintain steady pressure; no leaks Main pathway for delivery

4. Aorta

5. Vena Cava

Main pathway for collection

6. Pulmonary artery 7. Pulmonary Vein 8. Coronary artery 9. Coronary veins 10. Septum

Pathway to lungs

Pathway from lungs to heart

Nutrient supply

Removal of waste

Muscular wall The heart is a 2 -pump system rolled into one. I t consists of blood vessels that serve as pathway for blood to move in and out of the heart, a collecting chamber, and a pumping chamber. It also has its own energy (nutrient) source and waste disposal structure. These structures have specific features that allow the heart to work together efficiently throughout a persons life. The collecting chambers have thin walls to accommodate more blood while the ventricles or pumping chambers are thick and strong to generate the force required to pump blood. There are valves to prevent a back flow ensuring steady pressure and efficient blood flow within the heart. Since the heart itself is a muscle, it requires energy and has its own nutrient source. It also has a pathway for removing waste. The heart is a great example of an efficient system. There is no room for failure.

Interconnection
Describe how the different structures work together to perform its function