19 Nov The most significant functions of the circulatory system
Our human body consists of many complex systems that allow us to function well. There are 5 different systems which are – respiratory system, circulatory system, muscular system, skeletal system and digestive system. Today we’ll be focusing on the circulatory system which helps to transport oxygen, food and water to all parts of the body and removes carbon dioxide and waste materials from the rest of the body.
The circulatory system consists of 3 independent systems that work together. The heart, lungs, and arteries, veins, coronary and portal vessels. An average adult has about 4.7 to 5.6 liters of blood which is made up of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells are circular and concave in appearance and contain hemoglobin which carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. White blood cells play a major role in our body’s immune system as it helps the body to protect and defend themselves against different kind of infection and other diseases by ingesting foreign materials and cellular debris. Platelets also known as thrombocytes are small, colorless cell fragments in our blood that helps to form clots and stop or prevent bleeding. Platelets counts are relatively important as it helps to screen for or diagnose various diseases and conditions that can cause problems with blood clot formations. They may be used as part of the workup of bleeding disorder, bone marrow disease, etc.
The systemic circulation also plays an important role in the circulatory system. Firstly, the arteries transport oxygen and nutrients away from our heart, to our body’s tissues. We can imagine them divided like tree branches until they are slender. The largest artery, aorta is connected to the heart and picks up oxygenated blood from the left ventricle. Without arteries, the heart would not be able to function properly due to the lack of oxygen which would reduce the flow of blood to the heart. This could quickly be detrimental to the heart’s health causing heart attack in some cases. Secondly, capillaries are small in size so that blood cells can only move through them one at a time. They look like thin walled tubes connecting artery and vein and helps in exchange of materials between blood and cells of the body. Oxygen and nutrients is passed from these capillaries to the cells. Lastly, the vein in the circulatory system carries carbon dioxide rich blood from the body to the heart, where it can be send to the lungs. It contains values where it prevents the backflow of blood and takes away tissue waste matters.
Moving on to the most vital organ in our body, the heart, is a muscular organ with four chambers. It is roughly the size of our clenched fist and lies in the front and middle of our chest, behind and slightly to the left of our breastbone. The heart pumps blood through the network of arteries and veins called the cardiovas. It plays the most important role as it is located at the center of our circulatory system, which is a network of blood vessels that delivers blood to every part of our body. It ensures that all other organs in our body are working properly and healthily.
Overall, our hearts is the most hardworking muscle that pumps to provide nutrients to every organ tissue, and cell throughout our body. It is important to keep it healthy and to keep it in shape. We could do that by ensuring that we exercise regularly and eat a variety of healthy food. After all, our heart started pumping blood to our body way before we even existed in the world and will continue pumping throughout our lives.