The Cardiovascular System

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The Cardiovascular System

The Cardiovascular system consists of the heart, and a closed system of vessels called arteries, veins, and capillaries.

The heart is the pump responsible for maintaining adequate circulation of oxygenated blood around the vascular network of the body. The heart provides the force necessary to circulate the blood to all the tissues in the body. Its function is to give a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients, and remove any waste products. While blood gives the transport to the oxygen, the heart is the organ that keeps the blood moving through the vessels. The normal adult heart pumps an average of about 5 litres of blood every minute throughout life. It is about the size of an adult males closed fist. It is made up of three layers of tissue. The outer layer of the heart wall is the epicardium, the middle layer is the myocardium, and the inner layer is the endocardium.
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The heart works as two pumps, one on the right and one on the left, working simultaneously. Blood flows from the right atrium to the right ventricle, and then is pumped to the lungs to receive oxygen. The blood then flows to the left atrium, then to the left ventricle. From there it is pumped round the circulatory system of veins and arteries, to deliver oxygen and nutrients around the body.

The heart is divided into four chambers, the Right atrium, Right ventricle, Left atrium, and the Left ventricle. The two atria are chambers with thin-walls that ...

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