Circulatory System Process Grid
Movement of blood through body is called circulation.
This process grid contains background information for the teacher to use when presenting the student version.
http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/heart.html#
System Parts
Heart

Atriums

Ventricles

septum

Valves
Specific Functions
* Your heart is an involuntary
muscle. It's located a little to
the left of the middle of your
chest, and it's about the size
of your fist. Your heart is sort
of like a pump, or two pumps
in one. The right side of your
heart receives blood from the
body and pumps it to the
lungs. The left side of the
heart does the exact
opposite: It receives blood
from the lungs and pumps it
out to the body.
* Heart is made up of 4
chambers; two on top – left
and right atriums (receive
blood from lungs and body),
two on bottom – left and
right ventricles (push blood
out to body and lungs)
*septum is a thick wall of
muscle that separates the
right and left side.
*A valve lets something in
and keeps it there by closing
— think of walking through a
door. The door shuts behind
you and keeps you from
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER
SYSTEMS
* Works with respiratory
system because it exchanges
gases in lungs.
* Works with digestive system
by delivering nutrients to all
parts of the body (cells) and
taking away waste.
INTERESTING FACTS
How does the heart beat? Before each beat,
your heart fills with blood. Then its muscle
contracts to squirt the blood along. When
the heart contracts, it squeezes — try
squeezing your hand into a fist. That's sort
of like what your heart does so it can squirt
out the blood. Your heart does this all day
and all night, all the time. The heart is one
hard worker!
Remember that your heart is a muscle. If
you want it to be strong, you need to
exercise it.
Your heart doesn't look like a valentine.
Pictures
going backward. There are 4
valves – 2 each side.
Blood Vessels

Veins (blue)
-valves

Arteries (red)

capillaries
Blood vessels are the many
tubes that go throughout the
body to all areas to transport
blood.
Blood vessels reach every part
of the body and are important
support for all systems
providing supplies to cells.
Veins are the blood vessels
that carry blood back to the
heart. Inside veins are valves
that make sure blood moves
the right direction.

Elasticity – arteries are thicker than
veins. Blood leaving the heart is
under more pressure to move
throughout the body.

Cholesterol – plaque can build up
and clog arteries. It’s important to
eat a variety of healthy foods and
avoid foods high in unhealthy fats,
such as saturated fats and trans fats
(reading the labels on foods can
help you figure out if your favorite
snacks contain these unhealthy
ingredients)
Arteries are blood vessels
that carry blood away from
heart.
It takes less than 60 seconds to pump
blood to every cell in your body.
You can feel your pulse in your wrist
Blood Cells

Red

White
Blood delivers oxygen and
nutrients to all the body's cells.
To stay alive, a person needs
healthy, living cells. Without
oxygen, these cells would die. If
that oxygen-rich blood doesn't
circulate as it should, a person
could die.
Blood also removes waste from
cells.

Don't smoke. It can damage the
heart and blood vessels.