1.1.2 Intro to cardiovascular system

Intro to the Circulatory System by FuseSchool

Please carefully watch the video above about the circulatory system before you read further.

The goal of the Circulatory System is to transport oxygenated blood (with O2) and nutrients to cells in the body, while removing waste products like Carbon Dioxide (CO2) at the same time.

To do so, the circulatory system is composed of two main elements: the heart and the blood vessels. We will go over them in this module.

The Circulatory System is a double system, made of two circuits:

- - The Pulmonary Circuit: the right side of the heart pumps de-oxygenated blood to the lungs and back to the heart when its oxygenated.
  - The Systemic Circuit: the left side of the heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body and back to the heart when its de-oxygenate

Image shows the pulmonary and systemic circuit in the human body, and also shows a zoom in of the hart with the left and right atria and chambers.

Illustration from Anatomy & Physiology, Connexions Web site. http://cnx.org/content/col11496/1.6/, author: OpenStax College