Ninja Nerd - Circulatory System | Pulmonary Circulation

Study Notes

The purpose of the pulmonary circulation is to pump blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs, where oxygen is picked up and CO2 is dropped off.
The oxygen-rich blood is then delivered to the left side of the heart.

Right ventricle: the starting point of the pulmonary circulation, where the heart pumps blood through the pulmonary semilunar valve.
Pulmonary semilunar valve: the valve that allows blood to flow from the right ventricle into the pulmonary trunk.
Pulmonary trunk: a large artery that receives blood from the right ventricle and splits into the right and left pulmonary arteries.
Right and left pulmonary arteries: arteries that carry deoxygenated blood from the pulmonary trunk to the lungs.
Pulmonary arterioles: small arteries that branch off from the pulmonary arteries and have high resistance, controlling constriction and dilation responses.
Pulmonary capillaries: tiny vessels where gas exchange occurs, and oxygen is picked up and CO2 is dropped off.
Pulmonary venules: small veins that receive oxygen-rich blood from the pulmonary capillaries.
Pulmonary veins: veins that collect oxygen-rich blood from the pulmonary venules and return it to the left atrium.
Left atrium: the chamber of the heart that receives oxygen-rich blood from the pulmonary veins.
Mitral valve (or bicuspid valve): the valve that allows blood to flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle.
Left ventricle: the final chamber of the heart, where the oxygen-rich blood is pumped out to the rest of the body.

Arteries carry blood away from the heart, while veins carry blood back to the heart.
The pulmonary arteries are deoxygenated, while the pulmonary veins are oxygenated.
Gas exchange occurs in the alveoli, small structural units within the lungs.

Pulmonary circulation pumps blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs for oxygenation and CO2 removal.

Right ventricle pumps blood through the pulmonary semilunar valve into the pulmonary trunk.
Pulmonary trunk splits into right and left pulmonary arteries, carrying deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
Pulmonary arteries branch into pulmonary arterioles, which control constriction and dilation responses.
Pulmonary arterioles lead to pulmonary capillaries, where gas exchange occurs (oxygen pickup and CO2 removal).
Oxygen-rich blood from pulmonary capillaries flows into pulmonary venules, then into pulmonary veins.
Pulmonary veins return oxygen-rich blood to the left atrium, which then flows through the mitral valve into the left ventricle.
Left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood out to the rest of the body.

Arteries transport blood away from the heart, while veins transport blood back to the heart.
Pulmonary arteries are deoxygenated, while pulmonary veins are oxygenated.
Gas exchange occurs in the alveoli, small structural units within the lungs.