Circulatory System Facts

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While many believe the circulatory system to be a highway for blood, there is actually much more to this vital system. Here are some intriguing facts about this vast network of organs and vessels, also called cardiovascular system.

The Lub-dub Story The distinctive sound of heartbeats, actually is the sound of the heart valves opening and closing. Our circulatory system contains three main parts -- the heart, the blood and blood vessels such as the arteries, capillaries and veins.

The heart makes our body function properly by pumping blood to the various parts of our body. The main function of this system is to provide oxygen and nutrients to the various cells in the body. It carries carbon dioxide and waste materials away from the cells.

An interesting fact about the circulatory system is that the blood which moves towards the heart has a high degree of carbon dioxide and the blood flowing away from the heart is rich in oxygen.

Blood vessels are categorized into three major types -- arteries, capillaries, and veins. Arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins carry blood towards the heart and it's the capillaries where the nutrients are mixed into the blood.

Function The functioning of the circulatory system is also pretty fascinating. The heart pumps blood, which is sent to the four chambers of the heart. The heart has two ventricles and two atria. The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the other organs of the body; on the other hand, the right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs.

The heart has four valves which control the flow of the blood. The right atrium contains blood that is low in oxygen. When the valve opens, this blood is pumped into the right ventricle; similarly another valve opens to pour the blood into the pulmonary artery which carries the blood to the lungs for oxygen.

The left atrium brings oxygenated blood into the left ventricle via another valve and into the aorta, which then sends the blood to the other body parts.

Listed below are some interesting facts that will help you know your circulatory system better.

Interesting Facts » A simple way to understand the circulatory system is to imagine our body as a country. Take the human heart as the capital of the country. Imagine the blood to be the train that connects the capital to all the sites and the blood vessels to be the tracks on which blood runs.

» The left side of the heart contains oxygenated blood, whereas the right side has deoxygenated blood. » One drop of blood has about 5.5 million red blood cells & 12 thousand white blood cells. » The heart beats about 30 million times in 365 days. » Around 15 million blood cells die in the human body every second, the same quantity is produced at the same time.

» Blood circulates the entire body in 20 seconds. » The blood vessels (i.e., arteries and veins) are all attached to the heart. Veins (blue) return blood to the heart and arteries (red) carry blood away from the heart. » An average heart pumps about 450 gallons of blood every day.

» An average adult's body has about 5.2 liters of blood in it and a baby's body has about 1 liter of blood in it. » A human heart is a muscle which is the size of a clenched fist. » Blood cells die in every 4 months. » The heart takes less than 60 seconds to pump blood to every cell in our body.

» The plasma in the blood is made in the liver. » One of the amazing facts about this system is that the heart continues to beat even when it is taken out of the body. Remember, our heart is a muscle and like any other muscle, it too needs exercise to be healthy and free from problems and diseases.

Ride a bicycle or go for a swim, your body will thank you for it! I have always admired the circulatory system, and the way in which it keeps on going, it deserves to be taken care of.

So start by eating a good deal of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, and quit smoking as it damages the heart and blood vessels, and then you're good to go!