Human Circulatory System

The human circulatory system consists of a network of arteries, veins, and capillaries, with the heart
pumping blood through it. Its primary role is to provide essential nutrients, minerals, and hormones to
various parts of the body. Alternatively, the circulatory system is also responsible for collecting
metabolic waste and toxins from the cells and tissues to be purified or expelled from the body.

Features of the Human Circulatory System

The crucial features of human circulatory are as follows:

 The human circulatory system consists of blood, heart, blood vessels, and lymph.
 The human circulatory system circulates blood through two loops (double circulation) – One
for oxygenated blood, another for deoxygenated blood.
 The human heart consists of four chambers – two ventricles and two auricles.
 The human circulatory system possesses a body-wide network of blood vessels. These
comprise of arteries, veins, and capillaries.
 The primary function of blood vessels is to transport oxygenated blood and nutrients to all
parts of the body. It is also tasked with collecting metabolic wastes to be expelled from the
body.

Circulatory system diagram highlighting the various pathways of blood (Blue=Dexoygenated blood &
Red=Oxygented blood) https://byjus.com/biology/human-circulatory-system-transportation/ accessed
on December 7, 2019 at 7:46 PM

Circulatory System Organs

The human circulatory system comprises of 4 main organs that have specific roles and functions. The
vital circulatory system organs include:

 Heart

 Blood (technically, blood is considered a tissue and not an organ)

 Blood Vessels

 Lymphatic system

Heart
The heart is a muscular organ located in the chest cavity, right between the lungs. It is positioned
slightly towards the left in the thoracic region and is enveloped by the pericardium. The human heart
is separated into four chambers, namely, two upper chambers called atria (singular: atrium), and two
lower chambers called ventricles.

Position of Heart in Human Body

The human heart is located between the lungs,  behind and slightly towards the left of the sternum
(breastbone). Two-thirds of the heart is situated on the left side of the chest, and the remaining part is
balanced on the right side of the chest.

The Function of Heart

The function of the heart in any organism is to maintain a constant flow of blood throughout the
body. This replenishes oxygen and circulates nutrients among the cells and tissues. Also, because the
human heart is a homologous organ, it functions no differently from any other vertebrates that possess
a heart. Following are the main functions of the heart:

 One of the primary function of the human heart is to pump blood throughout the body.
 Blood delivers oxygen, hormones, glucose and other components to various parts of the body,
including the human heart.
 The heart also ensures that adequate blood pressure is maintained in the body
Types of Circulation
There are two types of circulation within the body, namely pulmonary circulation and systemic
circulation.

 Pulmonary circulation is a portion of circulation responsible for carrying deoxygenated

blood away from the heart, to the lungs and then brings oxygenated blood back to the heart.
 Systemic circulation is another portion of circulation where the oxygenated blood is
pumped from the heart to every organ and tissue in the body, and then back again to the
heart.

Now, the heart itself is a muscle and therefore, it needs a constant supply of oxygenated blood. This is
where another type of circulation comes into play, the coronary circulation.

 Coronary circulation is an essential portion of the circulation, where oxygenated blood is

supplied to the heart. This is important as the heart is responsible for supplying blood
throughout the body. Moreover, organs like the brain need a steady flow of fresh, oxygenated
blood to ensure functionality.

In a nutshell, the circulatory system plays a vital role in supplying oxygen, nutrients and removing
carbon dioxide and other wastes from the body. Let us gain a deeper insight into the various
anatomical structures of the heart:

Structure of the Human Heart

The human heart is about the size of a human fist and is divided into four chambers, namely two
ventricles and two atria. The ventricles are the chambers that pump blood and atrium are the
chambers that receive blood. Among which both right atrium and ventricle make up the “right heart,”
and the left atrium and ventricle make up the “left heart.”  The structure of the heart also houses the
biggest artery in the body – the aorta.

The right and the left region of the heart are separated by a wall of muscle called the septum. The
right ventricle pumps the blood to the lungs for re-oxygenation through the pulmonary arteries. The
right semilunar valves close and prevent the blood from flowing back into the heart. Then, the
oxygenated blood is received by the left atrium from the lungs via the pulmonary veins.  Read on to
explore more about the structure of heart.
External Structure of Heart

One of the very first structures which can be observed when the external structure of the heart is
viewed is the pericardium.

Pericardium
The human heart is situated to the left of the chest and is enclosed within a fluid-filled cavity
described as the pericardial cavity. The walls and lining of the pericardial cavity are made up of a
membrane known as the pericardium.

The pericardium is a fibre membrane found as an external covering around the heart. It protects the
heart by producing a serous fluid, which serves to lubricate the heart and prevent friction between the
surrounding organs. Apart from the lubrication, the pericardium also helps by holding the heart in its
position and by maintaining a hollow space for the heart to expand itself when it is full. The
pericardium has two exclusive layers:

 Visceral Layer: It directly covers the outside of the heart.

 Parietal Layer: It forms a sac around the outer region of the heart that contains the fluid in
the pericardial cavity.

Structure of the Heart Wall

The heart wall is made up of 3 layers, namely:

 Epicardium – Epicardium is the outermost layer of the heart. It is composed of a thin-layered

membrane that serves to lubricate and protect the outer section.
 Myocardium – This is a layer of muscle tissue, and it constitutes the middle layer wall of the
heart. It contributes to the thickness and responsible for the pumping action.
 Endocardium – It is the innermost layer that lines the inner heart chambers and covers the
heart valves. Furthermore, it prevents the blood from sticking to the inner walls, thereby
preventing potentially fatal blood clots.
Internal Structure of Heart

The internal structure of the heart is rather intricate with several chambers and valves that control the
flow of blood.

Chambers of the Heart

Vertebrate hearts can be classified based on the number of chambers present. For instance, most fish
have two chambers, reptiles and amphibians have three chambers. Avian and mammalian hearts
consists of four chambers. Humans are mammals; hence, we have four chambers, namely:

 Left atrium
 Right atrium
 Left ventricle
 Right ventricle

Atria are thin, less muscular walls and smaller than ventricles. These are the blood-receiving
chambers that are fed by the large veins.

Ventricles are larger and more muscular chambers responsible for pumping and pushing blood out to
the circulation. These are connected to larger arteries that deliver blood for circulation.

The right ventricle and right atrium are comparatively smaller than the left chambers. The walls
consist of fewer muscles compared to the left portion, and the size difference is based on their
functions. The blood originating from the right side flows through the pulmonary circulation, while
blood arising from the left chambers is pumped throughout the body.

Double Circulation
The way blood flows in the human body is unique, and it is quite efficient too. The blood circulates
through the heart twice; hence, it is called double circulation. Other animals like fish have single
circulation, where blood completes a circuit through the entire animal only once.

The main advantage of double circulation is that every tissue in the body has a steady supply of
oxygenated blood, and it does not get mixed with the deoxygenated blood.
Circulation of blood in humans – Double circulation https://byjus.com/biology/human-circulatory-
system-transportation/ accessed on December 7, 2019 at 7:46 PM

Blood Vessels
In organisms with closed circulatory systems, the blood flows within vessels of varying sizes. All
vertebrates, including humans, possess this type of circulation. The external structure of the heart has
many blood vessels that form a network, with other major vessels emerging from within the structure.
The blood vessels typically comprise of the following:

 Veins supply deoxygenated blood to the heart via inferior and superior vena cava, and it
eventually drains into the right atrium.
 Capillaries are tiny, tube-like vessels which form a network between the arteries to veins.
 Arteries are muscular-walled tubes mainly involved in supplying oxygenated blood away
from the heart to all other parts of the body. Aorta is the largest of the arteries, and it branches
off into various smaller arteries throughout the body.

Arteries and Veins are two different types of blood vessels in the circulatory system and are mainly
involved in circulating blood throughout the body from the heart and vice versa. However, the two blood
vessels are different from each other.

One of the major difference between arteries and veins is that the arteries carry oxygenated blood to all
body parts, whereas, veins carry the deoxygenated blood to the heart.
Blood vessels are categorized into arteries, veins and capillaries

Following are the major difference between arteries and veins:

CHARACTERISTIC
ARTERIES VEINS
S

The pure, oxygenated blood, rich in The impure, deoxygenated blood is

Blood
nutrients is carried by the arteries. carried by the veins.

 The walls of arteries are rigid, The walls of veins are thin and
Walls
thicker and highly muscular. collapsible.

They are deeply situated within the They are superficial, peripherally
Body location
body. located closer to the skin.

Colour Arteries are red in colour. Veins are blue in colour.

The direction of BloodArteries carry blood away from the Veins carry blood from the various
Flow heart to various parts of the body. parts of the body towards the heart.

Flow pressure The pressure is high as the blood The pressure is low as the blood
flows by the pumping pressure of the flows by the capillary action of the
 heart. veins.

Oxygen levels are quite high in the

Oxygen level Oxygen level is low comparatively.
arterial blood.

 Level of Carbon-The level of the CO2 is low in theThe level of the CO2 is high in the
dioxide arterial blood. venous blood.

Flow direction From the heart to the body tissues From the body tissues to the heart.

Lumen Lumen is narrow. Lumen is wide.

There are valves in the veins

There are no valves in the artery
Valves allowing blood to flow in the upward
vessels.
direction.

Arteries are at a greater risk of certain Veins are less susceptible to the
Diseases diseases like angina pectoris,diseases and few include diseases
atherosclerosis. like varicose veins.

Arteries and Veins

Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart, where it branches into even
smaller vessels. Finally, the smallest arteries, called arterioles are further branched into small
capillaries, where the exchange of all the nutrients and other waste molecules are carried out.

Veins are the blood vessels, present throughout the body. They are tube-like, translucent structures
that function by carrying deoxygenated blood from the tissues to the heart for
reoxygenation. Compared to arteries, veins are thin-walled.

There are different types of arteries and veins.

Types of Arteries
There are three different types of arteries:

 Elastic arteries: These are also known as conducting arteries that have a thick middle layer
that stretches in response to each heart pulse.
 Muscular arteries: These are medium-sized arteries that draw blood from elastic arteries.
 Arterioles: These direct the blood into the capillaries. These are arterial divisions that
transport blood away from the heart.
Types of Veins
The different types of veins include:

 Deep Veins: These are located deep within the muscle tissue.

 Superficial Veins: These are closer to the surface of the skin.
 Systemic Veins: These are present throughout the body and transport deoxygenated blood to
the heart for purification.
 Pulmonary Veins: These transport oxygenated blood to the heart from the lungs.

Valves
Valves are flaps of fibrous tissues located in the cardiac chambers between the veins. They ensure that
the blood flows in a single direction (unidirectional). Flaps also prevent the blood from flowing
backwards. Based on their function, valves are of two types:

 Atrioventricular valves are between ventricles and atria. The valve between the right
ventricle and right atrium is the tricuspid valve, and the one which is found between the left
ventricle and left atrium is known as the mitral valve.
 Semilunar valves are located between the left ventricle and aorta. It is also found between
the pulmonary artery and right ventricle.

Layers of Blood Vessels

Both arteries and veins consist of three layers.

 Tunica Intima: It is one of the innermost and thinnest layers of arteries and veins. It
comprises of endothelial cells. They are in direct contact with the flow of blood. It intern
consists of three layers. I.e. Inner Layer, Middle Layer, and Outer Layer.

 Tunica Media: It is one of the thickest layers of arteries. Its function is to control the calibre
of the vessel.  It also consists of connective tissue and polysaccharide substances.

 Tunica Adventitia: It controls the calibre of the vessel. It is surrounded by the tunica media.
It comprises of collagen and also supported by the lamina.

Blood
Blood is a fluid connective tissue that consists of plasma, blood cells and platelets. It circulates
throughout our body delivering oxygen and nutrients to various cells and tissues. It makes up 8% of
our body weight. An average adult possesses around 5-6 litres of blood.
Types of Blood Cells

We have seen blood consist of cells known as formed elements of blood. These cells have their own
functions and roles to play in the body. The blood cells which circulate all around the body are as
follows:

Red blood cells (Erythrocytes)

RBCs are the biconcave cells; also known as erythrocytes. RBCs contain the iron-rich protein called
haemoglobin;  give blood its red colour. RBCs are the most copious blood cell produced in bone
marrows. Their main function is to transport oxygen from and to various tissues and organs.

Red Blood Cells are red due to Hemoglobin, which is a transport molecule and also a pigment. As a
result, blood is red.

White blood cells (Leucocytes)

Leucocytes are the colourless blood cells. They are colourless because it is devoid of haemoglobin.
They further classified as granulocytes and agranulocytes. WBCs mainly contribute to immunity and
defence mechanism.

Types of White Blood Cells

There are five different types of White blood cells and are classified mainly based on the presence and
absence of granules.

 Granulocytes

 Agranulocytes
There are five types of white blood cells present in the blood

Granulocytes
They are leukocytes, with the presence of granules in their cytoplasm. The granulated cells include-
eosinophil, basophil, and neutrophil.

Eosinophils

 They are the cells of leukocytes, which are present in the immune system.

 These cells are responsible for combating infections in parasites of vertebrates and for
controlling mechanisms associated with the allergy and asthma.

 Eosinophil cells are small granulocyte, which is produced in the bone marrow and makes 2 to
4 per cent of whole WBCs. These cells are present in high concentrations in the digestive
tract.

Basophils

 They are the least common of the granulocytes, ranging from 0.01to 0.3 per cent of WBCs.

 They contain large cytoplasmic granules, which plays a vital role in mounting a non-specific
immune response to pathogens, allergic reactions by releasing histamine and dilates the blood
vessels.

 Around 20 to 25 per cent of basophils are present in WBCs.

 These white blood cells have the ability to be stained when exposed to basic dyes, hence
referred to as basophil.
  These cells are best known for their role in asthma and their result in the inflammation and
bronchoconstriction in the airways.

Neutrophils

 They are normally found in the bloodstream.

 They are predominant cells, which are present in pus.

 Around 60 to 70 per cent of WBCs are neutrophils with a diameter of 10 to 12 micrometres.

 The nucleus is 2 to 5 lobed and cytoplasm has very fine granules.

 Neutrophil helps in the destruction of bacteria with lysosomes, and it acts as a strong oxidant.

 Neutrophils are stained only using neutral dyes. Hence, they are called so.

 Neutrophils are also the first cells of the immune system to respond to an invader such as a
bacteria or a virus.

 The lifespan of these WBCs extend for up to eight hours and are produced every day in the
bone marrow.

Agranulocytes
They are leukocytes, with the absence of granules in their cytoplasm. Agranulocytes are further
classified into monocytes and lymphocytes.

Monocytes

 These cells usually have a large bilobed nucleus, with a diameter of 12 to 20 micrometres.

 The nucleus is generally of half-moon shaped or kidney-shaped and it occupies 3 to 8 per cent
of WBCs.

 They are the garbage trucks of the immune system.

 The most important functions of monocytes are to migrate into tissues and clean up dead
cells, protect against the bloodborne pathogens and they move very quickly to the sites of
infections in the tissues.

 These white blood cells have a single bean-shaped nucleus, hence referred to as Monocytes.

Lymphocytes

 They play a vital role in producing antibodies.

 Their size ranges from 8 to 10 micrometres.

  They are commonly known as natural killer cells.

 They play an important role in body defence.

 On average, a human body contains about 10 to 12 lymphocytes cells.

 These white blood cells are colourless cells formed in lymphoid tissue, hence referred to as
lymphocytes.

 There are two main types of lymphocytes – B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes.

 These cells are very important in the immune systems and are responsible for humoral
immunity.

Platelets (Thrombocytes) 

 Thrombocytes are specialized blood cells produced from bone marrow.

 Platelets come into play when there is bleeding or haemorrhage.

 They help in clotting and coagulation of blood. Platelets help in coagulation during a cut or
wound.
Composition of Blood: Plasma, RBCs, WBCs and platelets

Functions of Blood

Blood is responsible for the following body functions:

Fluid Connective Tissue

Blood is a fluid connective tissue composed of 55% plasma and 45% formed elements including
WBCs, RBCs, and platelets. Since these living cells are suspended in plasma, blood is known as a
fluid connective tissue and not just fluid.

Provides oxygen to the cells

Blood absorbs oxygen from the lungs and transports it to different cells of the body. The waste carbon
dioxide moves from the lungs to the blood and is exhaled.

Transports Hormone and Nutrients

The digested nutrients such as glucose, vitamins, minerals, and proteins are absorbed into the blood
through the capillaries in the villi lining the small intestine.

The hormones secreted by the endocrine glands are also transported by the blood to different organs
and tissues.

Homeostasis
Blood helps to maintain the internal body temperature by absorbing or releasing heat. When the blood
vessels react to outside organisms and changes in internal temperature, they expand and contract. This
moves the blood and heat closer to or away from the skin surface.

Blood Clotting at Site of Injury 

The platelets help in the clotting of blood at the site of injury. The platelets form a clump at the
damaged area. Fibrins are formed to complete the clot.

Transport of waste to the Kidney and Liver

Blood enters the kidney where it is filtered to remove nitrogenous waste out of the blood plasma. The
toxins from the blood are also removed by the liver.

Protection of body against pathogens

The White Blood Cells fight against infections. They multiply during the infections.

Lymph is a clear white colours fluids tissue which is composed of lymphocytes, white blood cells.
Lymph is generally found in the lymphatic vessels and in the various cavities of the body. It is the part
of the lymphatic system, which functions by transporting the white blood cells between the lymph
nodes and bones, removal of interstitial fluid from tissues and fights against the disease-causing and
infectious bacteria invading the blood cells. The main functions of lymph include:

1. Supplies nutrients to the body.

2. Removes metabolic wastes from the tissue cells.
3. Maintains the composition of tissue fluid.
4. It helps in invading the entry of pathogenic infections caused by microbes.
5. Absorbs fat-soluble vitamins and other digested fats molecules from the small intestine
through lymphatic vessels.

Here are clear differences between the Blood and the Lymph.

Lymph Blood

It is a colourless fluid. It is a reddish coloured fluid.

It is part of the lymphatic system It is part of the circulatory system

It helps in body defence and is a part of the It is associated with the circulation of oxygen and carbon
immune system. dioxide, nutrients hormones, waste products etc.

It contains plasma and a lesser number of

It contains plasma, RBCs, WBCs, and platelets.
WBCs and platelets.

Carries less amount of oxygen and digested

Carries more amount of oxygen and digested food.
food.

Blood plasma consists of proteins, calcium, and

Lymph plasma lacks proteins.
phosphorus.

Transports nutrients from the tissue cells to Transports nutrients and oxygen from one organ to
the blood, through lymphatic vessels. another.

The flow of lymph is slow. The flow of blood in the blood vessels is fast.

Clots slowly due to the presence of lessClots quickly due to the presence of more amount of
fibrinogen. fibrinogen.

The movement of lymph is in a single

The movement of Blood is in a circular motion.
direction.
Lymphatic System
The human circulatory system consists of another body fluid called lymph. It is also known as tissue
fluid. It is produced by the lymphatic system which comprises a network of interconnected organs,
nodes and ducts.

Lymph is a colourless fluid consisting of salts, proteins, water, etc. which transport and circulates
digested food and absorbed fat to intercellular spaces in the tissues. Unlike the circulatory system,
lymph is not pumped; instead, it passively flows through a network of vessels.

Lymphatic System comprises a fluid known as lymph, lymph capillaries and lymph ducts. It is an
extension of the circulatory system.

1. Lymphatic Ducts or Vessels: They are present in various parts of the body. They consist all
the three layers namely tunica internal, tunica media and tunica external. These vessels are like
veins.
2. Lymph: All vertebrate possess a lymphatic system. It can be defined as blood minus RBC’s.
It is yellowish fluid present in the lymph vessels.
3. Lymph capillaries: Small, thin, lined by endothelium resting on a basement membrane. One
end unites to form lymphatic ducts and one end is blind.

Circulatory System Function

The most important function of the circulatory system is transporting oxygen throughout the body.
The other vital functions of the human circulatory system are as follows:

1. It helps in sustaining all the organ systems.

2. It transports blood, nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide and hormones throughout the body.
3. It protects cells from pathogens.
4. It acts as an interface for cell-to-cell interaction.
5. The substances present in the blood helps repair the damaged tissue.