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In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. [1] [2] It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart and blood vessels (from Greek kardia meaning heart, and Latin vascula meaning vessels).
The heart is the driver of the circulatory system, pumping blood through rhythmic contraction and relaxation. The rate of blood flow out of the heart (often expressed in L/min) is known as the cardiac output (CO). Blood being pumped out of the heart first enters the aorta, the largest artery of the body.
Coronary circulation is the circulation of blood in the arteries and veins that supply the heart muscle (myocardium). Coronary arteries supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. Cardiac veins then drain away the blood after it has been deoxygenated.
The circulatory system uses the channel of blood vessels to deliver blood to all parts of the body. This is a result of the left and right sides of the heart working together to allow blood to flow continuously to the lungs and other parts of the body. Oxygen-poor blood enters the right side of the heart through two large veins.
[3] [6] This blood then enters the left atrium, which pumps it through the mitral valve into the left ventricle. [3] [6] From the left ventricle, the blood passes through the aortic valve to the aorta. [3] [6] The blood is then distributed to the body through the systemic circulation before returning again to the pulmonary circulation. [3] [6]
The human hepatic portal system delivers about three-fourths of the blood going to the liver.The final common pathway for transport of venous blood from spleen, pancreas, gallbladder and the abdominal portion of the gastrointestinal tract [2] (with the exception of the inferior part of the anal canal and sigmoid colon) is through the hepatic portal vein.
As the blood flows through the left atrium, it will move through the mitral valve into the left ventricle and will be pumped through the aorta into the body. The shunting of oxygenated blood from right to left atrium will supply blood high in oxygen and nutrient content to the upper extremities, including the critically important brain.
Blood flow diagram of the human heart. Blue components indicate de-oxygenated blood pathways and red components indicate oxygenated pathways. The heart functions as a pump and acts as a double pump in the cardiovascular system to provide a continuous circulation of blood throughout the body.