What Makes Up Your Circulatory System and How Does It Work?
Your circulatory system works all day, every day, to pump oxygen throughout your body. There are cardiovascular conditions that can impact this system.
Your circulatory system, also known as your cardiovascular system, is made up of your heart and blood vessels. It works to transport oxygen and other nutrients to all the organs and tissues in your body. It also works to remove carbon dioxide and other waste products.
Having a healthy circulatory system is vital to your health and well-being. Continue reading as we delve deeper into the circulatory system, its function, and what you can do to keep your heart and blood vessels in good shape.
What makes up the circulatory system?
Your circulatory system is made up of several parts, including your:
- Heart. This muscular organ works to pump blood throughout your body via an intricate network of blood vessels.
- Arteries. These thick-walled blood vessels carry oxygenated blood away from your heart.
- Veins. These blood vessels carry deoxygenated blood back toward your heart.
- Capillaries. These tiny blood vessels facilitate the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste between your circulatory system and your organs and tissues.
Interesting facts about the circulatory system
- Your heart pumps about 5 liters of blood per minuteTrusted Source, but it’s only about the size of your fistTrusted Source.
- It’s estimated that in a 70-year period, your heart will beat over 2.5 billion timesTrusted Source.
- In most adult humans, a typical resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minuteTrusted Source.
- The total length of all of the blood vessels in your body is about 60,000 miles.
- Capillaries are your most numerous blood vessels and also the smallest. Red blood cells often have to move through the capillaries in single file.
- Your blood pressure changes throughout the day. It’s lowest when you’re asleep, and it peaks in the middle of the afternoon.
How does it work?
Your circulatory system is vital to your survival. Its function is to distribute blood and other nutrients to all your body’s organs and tissues.
The small blood vessels, called capillaries, facilitate the exchange of oxygen and nutrients between your blood and the cells in your body. Carbon dioxide and other waste products, which are expelled from your body, are also exchanged via your capillaries. These tiny capillaries are spread throughout your body so that they can reach every cell.
Let’s follow the blood on a simple loop through the circulatory system to see how it works:
- Oxygen-depleted blood returns to your heart (the right side) via the veins.
- Your heart pumps this blood to the lungs. In the lungs, the blood gets rid of carbon dioxide and picks up fresh oxygen.
- Newly oxygenated blood returns to the other side of the heart (the left side), where it’s then pumped into the arteries.
- Eventually, the blood enters the capillaries. Here, it releases oxygen and nutrients to your body’s organs and tissues. It then picks up carbon dioxide and other waste products.
- The oxygen-depleted blood returns to the heart through the veins, and the cycle begins all over again.
The circulatory system can also respond to various stimuli to regulate the flow of blood. Examples of these stimuli include changes in:
- blood volume
- hormones
- electrolytes
Circulatory system conditions
Below, we’ll explore some of the most common conditions that can affect the health of your circulatory system.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is when plaque builds up along the walls of your arteries. Risk factors that can contribute to plaque buildup include:
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- tobacco use
- diabetes
- an unhealthy diet
- low levels of physical activity
- being overweight or obese
Atherosclerosis can gradually make the arteries narrower, affecting the amount of blood that can flow through them. Because of this, organs and tissues may not get enough oxygen.
When atherosclerosis affects the arteries of your heart, it’s called coronary artery disease. Other arteries in your body can also be affected as well. This is called peripheral artery disease, which affects how well blood can flow to your legs, feet, arms, and hands.
In some cases, an artery may become completely blocked by plaque or a blood clot. When this happens, a heart attack or stroke can occur.
High blood pressure
Your blood pressure is the force that your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. High blood pressure can eventually damage your heart and blood vessels, as well as other organs like your brain, kidneys, and eyes.
Angina
Angina is chest pain that occurs when your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen. It’s often caused by coronary artery disease, which makes the arteries supplying the heart narrower due to plaque buildup.
Arrhythmia
An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. When you have an arrhythmia, your heart may be beating too fast (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), or irregularly. It happens due to changes in the heart or its electrical signals.
Varicose veins
Your veins contain valves that help keep oxygen-depleted blood flowing toward your heart. When these valves fail, blood collects in the veins, which can cause them to bulge and become swollen or painful.
Varicose veins most often appear on the lower legs.
The bottom line
Your circulatory system is made up of your heart and an intricate network of blood vessels. The purpose of this system is to keep all the cells in your body supplied with fresh oxygen and nutrients while removing carbon dioxide and other waste products.
Several different types of conditions can affect your circulatory system. Many of these conditions involve some type of blood vessel blockage, which can lower oxygen delivery to vital organs.
There are steps you can take to keep your circulatory system as healthy as possible. Some key steps include getting regular exercise, eating heart-healthy foods, not smoking, and maintaining a moderate weight.
Regular visits to your doctor can also help identify and treat any potential problems before they become more serious issues.