Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Labeled Parts
Causes of Dysfunction
Supporting the System
The cardiovascular system, also known as the circulatory system, includes the heart and blood vessels. It plays an important role in transporting blood to organs and tissues throughout the body.
Labeled Parts of the Cardiovascular System
The diagram is labeled with the main parts of the cardiovascular system: the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins.
Heart: A Muscular Pump
The right atrium and right ventricle receive oxygen-deprived blood from the body and pump it to the lungs to get oxygen. This blood travels to the left heart, where it’s then pumped to the rest of the body to deliver oxygen to tissues.
Arteries: Tubes to Delivery Blood Away From the Heart
Arteries are blood vessels that act as tubes to carry blood away from the heart. There are two main types of arteries: systemic arteries and pulmonary arteries.
The major arteries branch into smaller arteries, called arterioles. These connect to capillaries, where the direct exchange of nutrients and oxygen to the tissues occurs.
Arteries have three layers, including a muscular layer that allows them to change their diameter (constrict or dilate) to control the flow of blood.
Capillaries: Small Blood Vessels for Nutrient and Gas Exchange
Capillaries are microscopic blood vessels that receive oxygen-rich blood from arterioles. Capillaries allow gas (oxygen and carbon dioxide) and nutrients to flow between the blood to the body’s tissues. Capillaries connect to veins which bring blood back to the heart.
Veins: Tubes to Deliver Blood Back to the Heart
Veins are blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart. In the lungs, they carry newly oxygenated blood back to the heart so it can be pumped to the body. In the rest of the body, they take the now oxygen-depleted blood from capillaries back to the heart so it can be pumped to the lungs.
Veins have thinner walls than arteries. They also have valves that prevent blood from flowing backward.
Theheartis a muscular organ responsible for theflow of bloodin the body. The heart has a right and a left side, each with an upper chamber (atrium) and lower chamber (ventricle). The right atrium receives oxygen-deprived blood from the body. The blood travels across the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle, which pumps the blood across the pulmonic valve to the pulmonary arteries. The pulmonary arteries carry the blood to the lungs, where it receives oxygen.
The now oxygen-rich blood travels to the pulmonary veins to the left atrium. From the left atrium, blood travels across the mitral valve into the heart’s main muscular chamber, the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps blood across the aortic valve into the aorta, the body’s main artery.
This process is continuously occurring. The heart pumps typically 60–100 times per minute at rest to keep the blood flowing.
What Affects Cardiovascular System Function?
There are many things that can go wrong with the cardiovascular system. Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attack and stroke, is the number one cause of death worldwide.
Associated Conditions and Dysfunction
Several conditions affect the function of the cardiovascular system. These can be broken down into problems with the heart or the blood vessels. Some of these conditions, like high blood pressure (hypertension) and early atherosclerosis, may not have any symptoms at all.
Blood vessel problems can occur in arteries or veins. In arteries, plaque buildup, blood clots, tears, or ruptures can occur. Problems with arteries include:
Problems with veins include:
Heart problems can involve the heart muscle, valves, coronary arteries, or electrical system. Common heart problems include:
Cardiovascular EmergenciesSome forms of cardiovascular disease are life-threatening emergencies that require immediate treatment, like a heart attack, aortic dissection, and stroke. If you develop symptoms of these conditions, it’s important to call911to be transported to the nearest emergency facility for medical care. Symptoms of cardiovascular emergencies include:Chest pressure or discomfort that may radiate to the neck, jaw, upper arm or backShortness of breathTearing chest or back painWeakness on one side of the face or body, confusion difficulty speakingSudden collapse or loss of consciousness
Cardiovascular Emergencies
Some forms of cardiovascular disease are life-threatening emergencies that require immediate treatment, like a heart attack, aortic dissection, and stroke. If you develop symptoms of these conditions, it’s important to call911to be transported to the nearest emergency facility for medical care. Symptoms of cardiovascular emergencies include:Chest pressure or discomfort that may radiate to the neck, jaw, upper arm or backShortness of breathTearing chest or back painWeakness on one side of the face or body, confusion difficulty speakingSudden collapse or loss of consciousness
Some forms of cardiovascular disease are life-threatening emergencies that require immediate treatment, like a heart attack, aortic dissection, and stroke. If you develop symptoms of these conditions, it’s important to call911to be transported to the nearest emergency facility for medical care. Symptoms of cardiovascular emergencies include:
How to Support Your Cardiovascular System
The cardiovascular system is essential to health, so it’s important to take care of it. There areseveral waysto keep your heart and blood vessels healthy. These include:
Summary
The cardiovascular system includes the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins. It plays a vital role in supplying blood with oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Problems with the cardiovascular system are common, but many are preventable. Lifestyle management can help keep your cardiovascular system in good shape. This includes a heart-healthy diet, regular physical exercise, avoiding smoking, getting good sleep, and controlling risk factors.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How the heart works.National Cancer Institute.Classification and structure of blood vessels.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How blood flows through the heart.American Heart Association.All About Heart Rate.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:Heart Disease Facts.American Heart Association.Facts about high blood pressure.MedlinePlus.Vascular diseases.American Heart Association.What is cardiovascular disease?American Heart Association.Heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest symptoms.American Heart Association.Life’s essential 8.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How the heart works.National Cancer Institute.Classification and structure of blood vessels.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How blood flows through the heart.American Heart Association.All About Heart Rate.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:Heart Disease Facts.American Heart Association.Facts about high blood pressure.MedlinePlus.Vascular diseases.American Heart Association.What is cardiovascular disease?American Heart Association.Heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest symptoms.American Heart Association.Life’s essential 8.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How the heart works.National Cancer Institute.Classification and structure of blood vessels.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How blood flows through the heart.American Heart Association.All About Heart Rate.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:Heart Disease Facts.American Heart Association.Facts about high blood pressure.MedlinePlus.Vascular diseases.American Heart Association.What is cardiovascular disease?American Heart Association.Heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest symptoms.American Heart Association.Life’s essential 8.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How the heart works.
National Cancer Institute.Classification and structure of blood vessels.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How blood flows through the heart.
American Heart Association.All About Heart Rate.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:Heart Disease Facts.
American Heart Association.Facts about high blood pressure.
MedlinePlus.Vascular diseases.
American Heart Association.What is cardiovascular disease?
American Heart Association.Heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest symptoms.
American Heart Association.Life’s essential 8.
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