Circulatory
A vast network of organs and vessels that is responsible for flood flow, nutrients, oxygen and other gases, and hormones to and from cels.that carries blood throughout the body.
Between the circulatory and respiratory system, they join forces to supply our body with oxygen. The difference is the circulatory system carries the red blood cells that contain oxygen throughout the body and the respiratory system is the body simply breathing. Various sensors throughout our body report back to our brain about oxygen levels and requirements, and our brain responds by increasing or decreasing our heart and breathing rates (Green, Bozzone 344). Without the circulatory system, the body would not be able to fight disease or maintain a stable internal environment, such as proper temperature and pH, known as homeostasis. While many view this system as a highway of blood, it is also known as the cardiovascular system. It is made up of three independent systems that work together; the heart (cardiovascular), the lungs (pulmonary), and arteries, veins, coronary and portal vessels (systemic). In the average human, about 2,000 gallons of blood travel daily through about 60,000 miles of blood vessels. An average adult has 5 to 6 quarts of blood, which is made up of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The circulatory system also moves lymph, which is a clear fluid that helps rid the body of unwanted material (Zimmerman).
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- The pulmonary circulatory system sends oxygen-depleted blood away from the heart through the pulmonary artery to the lungs and returns oxygenated blood to the heart through the pulmonary vein.
- Oxygen-deprived blood enters the right atrium of the heart and flows through the tricuspid valve (right atrioventricular valve) into the right ventricle. From there it is pumped through the pulmonary semilunar valve into the pulmonary artery on its way to the lungs. When it gets to the lungs, carbon dioxide is released from the blood and oxygen is absorbed. The pulmonary vein sends the oxygen-rich blood back to the heart.
- The systemic circulation is the portion of the circulatory system is the network of veins, arteries and blood vessels that transports blood from heart, services the body's cells and then re-enters the heart (Zimmerman).
Every minute you are alive, your heart beats, probably somewhere around 60 times. The hearts main function is to act as a pump for our blood. It's compromised of two biological pumps lying side by side that allows it to do this function. The right hand-pump of the heart receives "used" blood from our body and pumps it to the lungs. The left-hand pump receives fresh blood from the lungs and pumps it to the rest of the body. The ventricle is a muscular pump of the heart , and is responsible for the feeling of our heart beats and our bodies pulse. This is simply called that ventricular contraction (Green, Bozzone 348-349).
Your heart has four separate chambers that pump blood. The chambers are called the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle. The right and left sides of the heart are separated by a muscular wall that prevents blood without oxygen from mixing with blood that has oxygen. The heart also has valves that separate the chambers and connect to major blood vessels (Healthwise).
Your heart has four separate chambers that pump blood. The chambers are called the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle. The right and left sides of the heart are separated by a muscular wall that prevents blood without oxygen from mixing with blood that has oxygen. The heart also has valves that separate the chambers and connect to major blood vessels (Healthwise).
Blood travels through your heart and lungs in four steps:
- The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood from the body and pumps it through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle.
- The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-poor blood through the pulmonary valve to the lungs.
- The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it through the mitral valve to the left ventricle.
- The left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood through the aortic valve out to the rest of the body (Healthwise).
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To compare a mamma, circulatory system to a non-mammal circulatory system we will use a Garter snake.
- The three-chambered reptilian heart is composed of two atria, which receive blood from the lungs and body, and a large ventricle, which pumps blood into arteries. This heart is evolutionary more basic than the mammalian four-chambered heart, but because of divisions and valves within the ventricle, the snake heart still functions as a four-chambered heart very similar to its mammalian counterparts.
- Snakes and other reptiles have an interesting adaptation to their cardiovascular system that mammals lack. It is called the renal portal system. In this type of system blood from the animal’s tail passes through the kidneys first before returning to the general body circulation.
- This may be significant, especially in sick reptiles, because many of the drugs used to treat infections are eliminated from the body through the kidneys. With certain drugs injected into a reptile’s tail or rear legs, the renal portal system may cause the medication to lose some of its effectiveness (Mader).
References:
"Herps From WA State ." . ADPace , n.d. Web. 27 May 2014.
Zimmermann, Kim. "Circulatory System: Facts, Function & Diseases."LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 17 Aug. 2012. Web. 26 May 2014. Healthwise Staff.
"Normal Heart." Normal Heart. MyHealth.Alberta.ca, 3 July 2012. Web. 26 May 2014.
Mader , Douglas . "Snake Cardiovascular System Anatomy." Snake Cardiovascular System Anatomy. Rivista , n.d. Web. 27 May 2014.
"Nature Detectives ." . Nature Detectives , n.d. Web. 28 May 2014.
"Herps From WA State ." . ADPace , n.d. Web. 27 May 2014.
Zimmermann, Kim. "Circulatory System: Facts, Function & Diseases."LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 17 Aug. 2012. Web. 26 May 2014. Healthwise Staff.
"Normal Heart." Normal Heart. MyHealth.Alberta.ca, 3 July 2012. Web. 26 May 2014.
Mader , Douglas . "Snake Cardiovascular System Anatomy." Snake Cardiovascular System Anatomy. Rivista , n.d. Web. 27 May 2014.
"Nature Detectives ." . Nature Detectives , n.d. Web. 28 May 2014.