The Cardiovascular System
The cardiovascular system and the lymphatic system form what is collectively called the circulatory system. Together, these systems transport oxygen, nutrients, cell wastes, hormones, and many other substances to and from all cells in the body. The trillions of cells in the human body take up nutrients and excrete wastes every minute of every day. Although the pace of this exchange may increase with activity or slow with rest, it happens continuously. If it stops, so does life. Of the two systems, the cardiovascular system is the primary transport operator; the lymphatic system aids it in its function.
Design: Parts of the Cardiovascular System
Cardiovascular comes from the Greek word cardia, meaning "heart," and the Latin vasculum, meaning "small vessel." The basic components of the cardiovascular system are the heart, the blood vessels, and the blood. The system can be compared to a large muscular pump (the heart) that sends a fluid (blood) through a series of large and small tubes (blood vessels). As blood circulates through the increasingly intricate system of vessels, it picks up oxygen from the lungs, nutrients from the small intestine, and hormones from the endocrine glands. It delivers these to the cells, picking up carbon dioxide (formed when cells use sugars or fats to produce energy) and other wastes in return.
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