THE CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM
BY: ALEX HOLT
MAJOR COMPONENTS
THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
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HEART
BLOOD VESSELS
BLOOD
THE HEART
• THE HEART IS AT THE CENTER OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
• THE HEART PUMPS OXYGENATED BLOOD TO THE BODY AND DEOXYGENATED BLOOD TO THE LUNGS.
• THE HEART HAS FOUR CHAMBERS; ONE ATRIUM AND ONE VENTRICLE FOR PUMPING OXYGENATED BLOOD,
AND ONE ATRIUM AND ONE VENTRICLE FOR PUMPING DEOXYGENATED BLOOD.
• THE LEFT SIDE RECEIVES OXYGENATED BLOOD FROM THE LUNGS AND PUMPS IT, THROUGH THE AORTA, TO
THE REST OF THE BODY.
• THE RIGHT SIDE RECEIVES DEOXYGENATED BLOOD AND PUMPS IT BACK TO THE LUNGS.
ARTERIES (BLOOD VESSELS)
• ARTERIES CARRY BLOOD AWAY FROM THE HEART
• ARTERIES CARRY OXYGENATED, NUTRIENT RICH BLOOD AWAY FROM THE HEART, TO DISTRIBUTE IT AMONG
THE TISSUES OF THE BODY. THE THICK WALLS OF YOUR ARTERIES CONTAIN MUSCLE THAT ABSORBS THE
PRESSURE OF THE HEART BEAT AND HELPS SLOW DOWN THE FLOW OF THE BLOOD. ARTERIES ARE OFTEN
LOCATED VERY CLOSE TO THE SURFACE OF THE SKIN. YOU CAN FEEL THE PRESSURE OF YOUR ARTERIAL
HEART BEAT IN YOUR WRIST WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR PULSE.
VEINS (BLOOD
VESSELS)
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VEINS CARRY BLOOD BACK TO THE HEART
VEINS CARRY DEOXYGENATED BLOOD BACK TO THE HEART, SO IT CAN BE PUMPED INTO THE
LUNGS WHERE IT WILL GATHER MORE OXYGEN. VEINS HAVE THINNER WALLS THAN ARTERIES,
BECAUSE, BY THE TIME YOUR BLOOD REACHES YOUR VEINS, IT HAS LOST MUCH OF THE
PRESSURE IT HAD WHEN IT WAS PUMPED OUT OF THE HEART. VEINS ARE USUALLY LOCATED
FURTHER BENEATH THE SKIN THAN ARTERIES.