The Cardiovascular System

Learning Outcomes

Blood circulates from the heart through the arteries to the capillaries to the veins and back to the heart. Decrease in blood pressure as blood moves away from the heart.

The endothelium lining the central lumen of blood vessels is surrounded by layers of tissue that differ between arteries, capillaries and veins.

Cardiovascular System

The cardiovascular system includes :

The heart, a muscular pump

The blood, a fluid connective tissue

The blood vessels, arteries, veins and capillaries

Blood flows away from the heart in arteries, to the capillaries and back to the heart in the veins

There is a decrease in blood pressure as the blood travels away from the heart

Continued . . . .

Arterial branches of the aorta supply oxygenated blood to all parts of the body

Deoxygenated blood leaves the organs in veins

Veins unite to form the vena cava which returns the blood to the heart

Pulmonary System

This is the route by which blood is circulated from the heart to the lungs and back to the heart again

The pulmonary system is exceptional in that the pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood and the pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood

Hepatic Portal Vein

There is another exception in the circulatory system – the hepatic portal vein

Veins normally carry blood from an organ back to the heart

The hepatic portal vein carries blood from the capillary bed of the intestine to the capillary bed of the liver

As a result, the liver has three blood vessels associated with it

Are the following statements true or false? (if false, give a word that should have been used)

1. The carotid vein returns deoxygenated blood from the head to the vena cava

2. The renal artery carries blood to the kidneys to be purified

3. The pulmonary vein carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs

4. The hepatic portal vein carries deoxygenated blood from the gut to the liver

5. The coronary vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart

6. The hepatic artery carries deoxygenated blood from the liver to the vena cava

Answers . . .

1. False, jugular

2. True

3. False, artery

4. True

5. False, pulmonary

6. False, vein

1. The carotid vein returns deoxygenated blood from the head to the vena cava – False, jugular vein

2. The renal artery carries blood to the kidneys to be purified - True

3. The pulmonary vein carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs – False, pulmonary artery

4. The hepatic portal vein carries deoxygenated blood from the gut to the liver - True

5. The coronary vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart – False, pulmonary artery

6. The hepatic artery carries deoxygenated blood from the liver to the vena cava – False, hepatic vein