The Circulatory System
Functions
The Circulatory System is responsible for transporting materials throughout your entire body. It transports nutrients from digested food to cells, oxygen from the lungs to cells, water to cells, and wastes such as carbon dioxide from cells to kidneys and lungs. Also, the white blood cells fight diseases. The hardest working organ (the heart) is responsible for this, as it powers the circulatory system by constantly pumping blood (the system of transport) through your arteries, veins, and capillaries, thus transporting materials to and from cells.
The Main Parts
The Circulatory System consists mainly of the heart, approximately 5 liters of blood, and the blood vessels (veins, arteries, and capillaries), which all have a crucial role in transporting materials throughout your body .
Working With Other Body Systems
Body Systems are made to perform a certain function, and they work with other body systems of different functions to help the body survive. Two of the many body systems that the Circulatory System works with are the Respiratory and the Excretory Systems. The Circulatory System obtains the oxygen that it transports to cells from the lungs of the Respiratory System. The Circulatory System also gets the blood filtered and rid of wastes by the Kidneys of the Excretory System.
Medical Conditions
A common disease of the circulatory system is arteriosclerosis, in which the fatty deposits in the arteries causes the walls to stiffen and thicken the walls. The causes are too much fat, cholesterol and calcium. This can restrict blood flow or in severe cases stop it all together, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
Another disease is hypertension (aka. high blood pressure), which causes the heart to work too hard, and can result in a heart attack, stroke, or a kidney failure.
There is also an aortic aneurysm, which occurs when the aorta is damaged and starts to bulge or eventually tear, which can cause severe internal bleeding. This can be present at birth or the result of atherosclerosis, obesity, high blood pressure or a combination of these conditions.
Another disease is hypertension (aka. high blood pressure), which causes the heart to work too hard, and can result in a heart attack, stroke, or a kidney failure.
There is also an aortic aneurysm, which occurs when the aorta is damaged and starts to bulge or eventually tear, which can cause severe internal bleeding. This can be present at birth or the result of atherosclerosis, obesity, high blood pressure or a combination of these conditions.