The Cardiovascular System – A basic Introduction

What is the Cardiovascular (CV) System comprised of?

The cardiovascular system is comprised of the heart, lungs, blood vessels and blood. The main role of this system is to transport oxygen to, and remove waste products (such as carbon dioxide) from, the cells within the body.

The Separate Circuits

It is possible to break the whole system down into 2 smaller circuits to fully explain the distinct functioning of the system. The circuits are; the pulmonary circuit and the systemic circuit.

The pulmonary circuit transports deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs and then transports the newly oxygenated blood back to the left side of the heart.

The systemic circuit transports oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart to the body before returning waste deoxygenated blood to the right side of the heart.

The Pressure of the Blood flow

The pressure through which the blood is transported from the heart to the lungs and the rest of the body can vary greatly depending on which part of the cycle the blood is on.