January, 20,2011 Aruscke Bosch

What are the Organs in the Circulatory System?

Parts of the Circulatory System
The circulatory System is divided into three major parts:
1. The Heart
2. The Blood
3. The Blood Vessels

The Circulatory System is responsible for transporting materials throughout the entire body. It transports nutrients, water, and oxygen to your billions of body cells and carries away wastes such as carbon dioxide that body cells produce. It is an amazing highway that travels through your entire body connecting all your body cells.

What is the purpose for the Circulatory System?

1. Blood flows through the cardiovascular system in a process called circulation. In less than a minute, the cardiovascular system is able to pump blood to every cell of the body. The heart fills with blood before each beat. With each beat, this blood is pumped into the arteries to be sent through out the body. Blood that is pumped from the heart flows through the arteries. The body contains 20 arteries, which connect to smaller blood vessels called arterioles. This blood provides the oxygen and other nutrients essential to the health of the tissues and cells. Blood that flows back to the heart does so through veins. This blood is carrying waste gases such as carbon dioxide from the tissues to the heart, which sends it to the lungs, where it is renewed with oxygen before making its way back to the heart and then back into the body.

What problems/diseases can occur with the circulatory system?

As we all know, the circulatory system or cardiovascular system comprises the blood, heart and blood vessels. The blood consists of the red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), platelets and blood plasma. The blood vessels, on the other hand, comprise the veins, arteries, arterioles and capillaries. All of these parts contribute a lot to the proper functioning of the circulatory system. A disorder in any of the parts can cause certain health complications, which may vary from a mild disease to a life-threatening condition. There are two types of circulatory system problems, viz. congenital (present at birth) and acquired (developed after birth). Common problems and diseases of the circulatory system include:

Aortic Aneurysm: Aortic aneurysm is bulging in the wall of the aorta, the largest artery of the body. Aortic aneurysm is caused due to aortic dissection (tear in the aortic wall) or defect in the aortic wall. A rupture of the bulging may cause heavy bleeding or hemorrhage. Aortic aneurysm can be developed as a complication of certain other diseases such as obesity, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.

Angina: Angina is pain or discomfort in the chest area, due to blockage in the blood vessels leading to the heart. The symptoms of angina are observed when there is insufficient supply of oxygen and blood to the heart. Chest pain may lasts for about 10 minutes.

Arrhythmia: Arrhythmia is a heart problem, characterized by irregularity in the heart rhythm. Symptoms may vary from very slow to fast heart rhythm. Arrhythmia can be a congenital or an acquired problem. In case of acquired arrhythmia, it can occur at any stage of life.

Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis is hardening of the arterial wall (usually medium and large arteries) due to formation of plaque or atheroma. The plaque may be composed of cholesterol, calcium and fatty deposits. Atherosclerosis may hamper the blood circulation or at times, it can even stop the blood flow. A person suffering from this problem experiences sharp pain in the affected area.

High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition, when the systolic pressure exceeds 140 mmHg and diastolic pressure exceeds 90 mmHg. It is mostly caused due to hereditary reasons or unhealthy lifestyle habits such as heavy drinking and smoking.

Peripheral Vascular Disease: Peripheral vascular disease is disorder in the blood vessels that are not part of the brain and heart. This disease is caused due to fatty acid deposits in the arteries of the leg portion. It can be hereditary or develop as a complication of obesity, high blood pressure and smoking.

http://www.womensweb.ca/health/circulatory/index.php
http://hes.ucfsd.org/gclaypo/circulatorysys.html#What%20is%20the%20job%20of%20the%20Circulat\
http://www.scienceclarified.com/Ci-Co/Circulatory-System.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_purpose_of_the_circulatory_system
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_organs_in_the_circulatory_system
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/circulat.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/pe/appliedanatomy/0_anatomy_circulatorysys_rev1.shtml
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/circulatory-system-problems-and-diseases.html
http://www.ehow.com/functions-of-the-cardiovascular-system/

1. What are 2 diseases that can occur with the circulatory system?
2. What is the other name for circulatory system?
3. What are the 3 organs in the circulatory system?
4. What is the circulatory system responsible for?
5. What blood vessels compromise the veins?