Overview of the Circulatory System

The circulatory system is the body system that transports blood and other materials.

It brings vital supplies to the cells and carries away their wastes.

They keep oxygen-poor blood from mixing with oxygen-rich blood.

<p>The circulatory system carries oxygen to all of the body's cells and transports carbon dioxide from the rest of the body to the lungs, where it is exhaled.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The function of the circulatory system is to transport O2 and nutrients to body cells and to carry oxygen-poor blood and CO2 back to the heart and lungs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The main parts of the circulatory system are the heart, the blood, and the blood vessels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The heart is a muscular pump, about the size of your fist, that keeps the blood moving to every part of the body.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The blood in the circulatory system stays inside the vessels; it's a closed system.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The circulatory system has three types of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the rest of the body back to the heart.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Veins carry oxygen-poor blood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>By a system of capillaries.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Capillaries are the tiny blood vessels that transport blood to and from the cells of the body.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Capillaries are so small (one cell thick) that blood cells have to move through them in a single file; materials are also diffused easily in and out of them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The circulatory system collects waste materials produced by digestion and cell metabolism, and delivers them to the liver and kidneys to be filtered out of the body. It helps maintain body temperature by distributing the heat that cells produce in the muscles and internal organs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>When you are active, your organs and muscles produce more heat. The heart pumps harder, and the blood vessels dilate to bring excess heat to the skin, where it can escape.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>In cold weather, the blood vessels constrict to conserve heat.</p> Signup and view all the answers