The Franklin Institute explains that the average person has about 5 liters, or 1.32 gallons, of blood traveling throughout his body. The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system, consists of the heart, lungs and blood vessels and keeps your blood moving in a constant fluid circuit. It provides blood and oxygen to every organ and part of your body.
Three Systems In One
The circulatory system consists of three distinct parts that work both independently and together, according to the Franklin Institute. Pulmonary circulation moves blood from the heart to the lungs and back. Coronary circulation is the movement of blood throughout the four chambers of the heart. Systemic circulation refers to the blood’s circuit throughout the body and includes the arteries, veins and capillaries.
A Constant Circuit
The central part of the circulatory system is the heart, a fist-sized muscle located slightly left of center in your chest. Kidshealth.org explains that the heart is like two pumps in one. The right side takes blood in and sends it to the lungs for oxygen and the left side sends it back out through the body. Deoxygenated blood enters the heart through the veins; oxygenated blood pumps back out through the arteries. One way to remember this is to note that the word “vein” contains the word “in.” Oxygen-rich blood passes from the arteries to the capillaries, where the oxygen is released to body tissue and replaced with waste products such as carbon dioxide. Waste-filled blood passes from the capillaries to the vein and returns to the heart to start the process again.
Circulatory System Disease
The four most common types of circulatory system diseases are high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure and coronary heart disease, which includes heart attack, according to the American Heart Association. A block in the blood flow to the heart, such as from a blood clot or clogged arteries, can cause a heart attack. A stroke can occur when oxygenated blood cannot reach part of the brain. Heart failure happens when one or more parts of the heart stops pumping properly. The heart as a whole may still work, but the body will not get the full amount of oxygen and blood that it needs. High blood pressure, often called the silent killer, refers to a constant condition in which the blood is pumping through the arteries with greater pressure than normal. This can lead to stroke, heart attack or hardened arteries.
Treating Diseases
Treating diseases of the circulatory system is a multi-step process that can include lifestyle changes, medication and surgery, according to MayoClinic.com. In mild cases, eating a low-sodium, low-fat diet and getting plenty of exercise may relieve the condition. If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, a physician may prescribe medications to control blood pressure, lower cholesterol or thin the blood. When other options fail, surgery to open up the blood vessels or repair damage to the heart may be required.
Interesting Facts
The American Heart Association explains that the heart beats about 100,000 times and pumps 2,000 gallons of blood per day. That is about 2.5 billion beats and more than 51 million gallons of blood in a 70-year lifespan. The blood vessels in the circulatory system would circle the earth twice if laid together end to end.
