The Circulatory System and Blood

By Arefeh Hosseini

The Heart

• The heart is a muscular organ in the body• Its function is to pump blood to the rest of the body • The heart consists of two chamber, the right and the left.• The right is relatively smaller because it receives the de-

oxygenated blood and the left spreads the oxygenated blood.

The Lungs

• The lungs two spongy organs that sit inside the chest, on either side• Their function is to replenish the blood’s oxygen and rid of waste or

carbon dioxide• The lungs are very important as they are also part of the respiratory

system

Arteries

• Arteries are thick vessels that lead from the heart and spread to every part of the body

• They branch into finer part until they reach capillaries• Arteries are always carrying blood, containing lots of oxygen and

glucose • This supplies the body with the needed amounts of supplies

Capillaries

• Capillaries are super thin vessels• They are so thin in fact that glucose and oxygen are able to diffuse through

them • These then are able to distribute the energy and oxygen• They then soak up (diffusing) blood that contains carbon dioxide that is

what is created when the oxygen is used by the body

Veins

• The veins are vessels thickening as they approach the heart• Their job is to take blood that has been used and contains carbon

dioxide back to the heart• The pulmonary vein carries the de-oxygenated blood to the lungs, this is

where the exception of veins occurs as they go from the heart to the lungs

Red Blood Cells

• Red blood cells are a component of blood that runs through veins and arteries

• These cells carry oxygen and glucose, but they also return waste known as carbon dioxide

• They spread the food we eat and the air that we breath to the rest of our bodies

• The tiny biconcave RBC's contain oxygen that attaches haemoglobin to be carried around the body.

White Blood Cells

• White blood cells are a component in the blood• Their function is to rid the body of germs, infection and diseases• They do this by almost swallowing and engulfing the germs in the

antibodies that they carry• This eliminates diseases and infection and helps us stay healthy• They are part of the immune system also

Platelets

• Platelets are a vital component of blood• They are the clotting factor• Their exact function is to rush to the area that a cut or a bruise has

occurred• They next begin to bond and harden the blood that is flowing from the

wound• Eventually they stop the blood• Without platelets men may die and women too once their menstrual cycle

begins

Plasma

• Plasma is the largest component of blood as the other components are embodied within it

• The plasma is a straw coloured liquid containing the red and white blood cells as well as the platelets

• However waste or carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients are also carried around the body in the plasma