You know that blood-pumper in your chest that makes you feel things? Some people call it a “heart” but that just sounds like crazy people talking crazy…
I just looked it up: turns out it is called a heart, and there’s a whole bodily system surrounding it?!
Actually, this “cardiovascular system” is pretty cool!
Let me see if I can explain it to you:
The Cardio-what? What’s It Called Again?
Ohhh, “Cardiovascular System”… What Is That?
Did you know?
Our hearts aren’t the only thing that makes up the cardiovascular system! They’re a big part, for sure, but not the whole picture!
The cardiovascular system, also known as the circulatory system, plays a vital role in the human body. It’s what’s responsible for the circulation of blood and transportation of essential nutrients and oxygen all over the human body.
It’s probably easier to say it this way: the system is made up of the heart, blood vessels, and blood.
The Human Heart In The Cardiovascular System
If you’ve never stopped to think: “What really is my heart? How does it work?” Or something similar to that, I got you:
So, in basic terms: the heart is a muscular organ, responsible for pumping blood throughout the body.
It’s located in the chest, slightly left of center, and roughly the size of a closed fist. If you look at your fist, that’s close enough to the muscle that keeps you alive.
Interesting side note: your brain is about the size of both your hands clasped together (again, rough estimate).
The heart has four chambers:
- the right atrium
- right ventricle
- left atrium
- left ventricle
It’s kind of cool how this all works together. Imagine a toy race track where there’s loops and turns:
Blood enters the heart through the right atrium and is pumped into the right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps the blood into the lungs, where it receives oxygen.
The left atrium receives the oxygenated blood and pumps it into the left ventricle before it returns to the heart. The left ventricle pumps the oxygenated blood out to the rest of the body.
What Is A Blood Vessel? What Does That Mean?
Basically, blood vessels are the network of tubes that transport blood throughout the body.
If you want to sum it up, that’s all you really need to know about them. If you’re keen on learning more, here’s some further detail:
There are three types of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries.
Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart, while veins carry oxygen-poor blood back to the heart. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect arteries and veins and allow for the exchange of nutrients and waste products between the blood and tissues.
Blood itself is a complex fluid that is responsible for carrying oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and waste products throughout the body. So… pretty important, I’d say.
The cardiovascular system is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen. Think of the United States Postal Service (when it’s doing it’s job correctly); messages and packages all over the country every day of the week, wildly important.
White blood cells are responsible for fighting infections. Think of Navy Seals or professional MMA fighters. Their one job is to kick some butt.
Platelets are essential for blood clotting, which helps to stop bleeding after an injury. Like the doctors of the body.
Plasma is the liquid component of blood that carries nutrients, hormones, and waste products. Think of an oil or WD40 – making everything run smoothly and efficiently while getting rid of some of that rust and dirt along the way!
A Brief Goodbye, Until Next Time
I hope this article in our series How You Work was a quick and informative way to teach you something new!
The goal of this segment of articles is to take you through an anatomy class in a way that helps everyone understand what school might have been a little too dull to explain (most likely school wasn’t the issue and we just weren’t paying attention!)
If you have comments or questions, please just let me know! Have a great rest of your day!