One of the ways by which you can appreciate your heart is by studying the circulatory system. Now, when one mentions the circulatory system, he or she would be referring to the system by which blood is distributed to the different areas of the body. This blood is important as it carries with it oxygen that is needed by the cells.
Important Parts of the Circulatory System
Although the heart is considered to be the center of the circulatory system it is just one of the parts that make the blood circulate. The heart, whose job it is to pump and get the blood moving, makes use of the blood vessels in order to do its responsibility. These blood vessels come in the form of arteries, veins and capillaries. Though they all carry blood, veins carries deoxygenated blood alone. It is the arteries that are able to carry blood with oxygen. From the arteries, the oxygen-rich blood travels through capillaries where they are absorbed by the major organs. Capillaries are considered to be the smallest blood vessel.
How does the blood circulate?
Technically, the circulatory system can be divided into two parts – the Pulmonary system and the Systemic System. In the former, blood travels from the heart to the lungs, and then back to the heart again, thus; its name. In the case of the latter, however, the blood travels from the heart to the body and then back to the heart.
Blood coming from body enters the heart through the inferior and the superior vena cave. It then passes through the right atrium. From there, the blood is pumped to the right ventricle, cusing it to pass through the tricuspid valve. This valve is important in making sure that the blood does not flow back to the atrium. You see, as soon as the ventricle is full, the tricuspid valve shuts.
From the right ventricle, the blood is pumped through the pulmonic valve, ending up in the pulmonic artery. It then goes to the lungs where it gets the oxygen that it would be giving to the other major organs. From the lungs, the blood goes through the pulmonary vein into the left atrium of the heart. From there, it is pumped into the left ventricle. As with the de-oxygenated blood, a valve known as the mitral valve keeps the blood from flowing back. The blood is then pumped through the aortic valve into the aorta. From there, the blood travels through the arteries and then to capillaries and into the major organs. Keep in mind that capillaries are thin and the oxygen can be absorbed through its walls.
At any point in this circulation, the body could experience problems, most notable of which is the build up of fatty acids along the walls of the blood vessels. Because they are important in transporting blood to and from the heart and the lungs, having a narrowed blood vessel would mean that the heart would have to pump twice as hard in order to get the blood moving and to relieve undue pressure. When the heart is unable to take the pressure, heart attack occurs.
When it comes to heart attack, your best defense would be your readiness. That means, have an AED unit at hand or undergo CPR trainings so that you would know what to do.
