Josh Morgan

BTEC sport

Describe the structure and function of the cardio vascular system.

The cardio vascular system The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart, veins, arteries, blood vessels and capillaries. The main components of the human cardio vascular system are the heart, blood and blood vessels. It includes: the pulmonary system, a "loop" through the lungs where blood is oxygenated; and the systemic circulation a "loop" through the rest of the body to provide oxygenated blood. An average adult contains five to six quarts (roughly 4.7 to 5.7 litters) of blood, which consists of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Also, the digestive system works with the circulatory system to provide the nutrients the system needs to keep the heart pumping. (www.wikianswers.com)

How it works The cardio vascular system takes action as soon as you take a breath in. when you inhale the air that you have inhaled goes straight to your lungs. The oxygen that is in the air is absorbed (taken out) by your lungs and then fed into the blood stream where it is then pumped around the body by the heart to oxygenate all the muscles, nerves and organs around your body.

The heart The human heart is a muscular organ that provides a continuous blood circulation through the cardiac cycle and is one of the most vital organs in the human body. The heart is divided into four main chambers: the two upper chambers are called the left and right atria and two lower chambers are called the right and left ventricle. There is a thick wall of muscle separating the right side and the left side of the heart. How the heart works The heart muscle contracts in two stages to squeeze blood out of the heart. This is known as systole.

In the first stage, the upper chambers (atria) contract at the same time, pushing blood down into the lower chambers (ventricles). Blood is pumped from the right atrium down into the right ventricle and from the left atrium down into the left ventricle. In the second stage, the lower chambers contract to push this blood out of the heart to either the body via your main artery (aorta) or to the lungs to pick up oxygen.

The heart then relaxes known as diastole. Blood fills up the heart again, and the whole process, which takes a fraction of a second, is repeated. (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/hearthealth/howtheheartworks.htm) Capillaries structure and function A capillary is extremely small blood vessels located within the tissues of the body that transports blood from arteries to veins, as you can see in the diagram below. Capillaries are most abundant in tissues and organs that are metabolically active. For example, muscle tissue and the kidneys have a greater amount of capillary networks than do connective tissues. (http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/ss/c apillary.htm)

Structure- Capillaries have very thin walls comprised only of endothelial cells, which allows substances to move through the wall with ease. Capillaries are very small, measuring 5-10 micrometers in width. However, the cross-sectional area of capillaries within an average size muscle would be larger than that of the aorta. This allows a fast and efficient transfer of oxygencarrying red blood cells to the site where they are needed. (http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/capillaries.php) Function- their main function is not transporting blood. They are specially designed to allow the movement of substances, mainly gases Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide into and out of the capillary. (http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/capillaries.php) Veins In the circulatory system, veins are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood to the heart. Veins differ from arteries in structure and function; for example, arteries are more muscular than veins, veins are often closer to the skin and contain valves to help keep blood flowing toward the heart, while arteries carry blood away from the heart. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vein) Arteries Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artery) Structure of an artery- The artery walls consist of three layers: Tunica Adventitia: This is the strong outer covering of arteries and veins which consists of connective tissues, collagen and elastic fibers. Tunica Media: This is the middle layer and consists of smooth muscle and elastic fibers. This

layer is thicker in arteries than veins. Tunica Intima: This is the inner layer which is in direct contact with the blood flowing through the artery. It consists of an elastic membrane and smooth endothelial cells. The hollow center through which blood flows is called the lumen. (http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/arteries.php)