Structure and Function of the Cardiovascular system

During exercise, the cardiovascular system serves many vital functions:

1. Delivery of oxygen and nutrients

The key function of the cardiovascular system is to transport oxygen and nutrients to the working tissue and muscles of the body. without this role being for-filled, all of our tissue and muscles would not be provided with the nutrients that they need to survive. They would therefor die.

2. Removal of waste products

At the same time that the blood is carrying oxygen and nutrients from the lungs to the tissues and muscles of the body, it is taking all of the waste products from the tissues and muscles of the body to the kidneys and the delivers carbon dioxide back to the lungs.

3. Thermoregulation

When we exercise, it is required that there are some adjustments to the blood flow, this blood adjustment effects the cardiovascular system. This is because the cardiovascular system is responsible for the distribution of heat throughout the body.

4. Faster oxygen transport

When we exercise, our muscle need more oxygen so they can work harder, this is the cardiovascular systems job and it has to alter many things to try and provide enough oxygen to the muscles

5. Clotting

This is a complicated process in which white blood cells form a clot around a broken blood vessel. Platelets form a plug at the sight of the damage and plasma components respont to form fibrin strands which strengthens the platelet plug

The key structures of the cardiovascular system are

the heart - Atria

ventricles

Bicuspid valve

tricuspid valve

aortic valve

pulmonary valve

aorta

superior vena cave

inferior vena cava

pulmonary vein

pulmonary artery

The hearts overall function is to take in oxygenated blood and pump it round the body to all of the tissues and muscles that require nutrients and fuel, at the same time as pumping blood around the body, it also pumps deoxygenated blood back to the lungs.

and the blood vessels

The Atria

The atria are the upper chambers of the heart. There job is recieve blood returning from the heart from any tissue or muscle in the body or from the lungs. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the left and right pulmonary veins, the right atrium recievs deoxygenated blood from the superior and inferior vena cava 

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The Ventricles

These are the pumping chambers of the heart, they have much thicker, more muscular walls than the atria because they require allot more pressure to pump the blood further. The right ventricle pumps blood to the pulmonary circulation for the lungs and the left ventricle pumps blood to the systemic circulation for the body.

The Bicuspid valve

This is one of the four valves in the heart, this valve is situated between the left atrium and the left ventricle, this valve only allows blood to flow in one direction, this directin is from the left atrium to the left ventricle.

The Tricuspid valve

This is another of the hearts four valve and this one is situated between the right atrium and the right ventricle, this valve also only allows blood to flow in one direction and that is from the right atrium to the right ventricle

Aortic valve

This is the third valve that is situated in the heart. This valve is between the left ventricle and the aorta, this valves duty is to only let blood flow from inside the ventricle, through the aorta, preventing back-flow.

Pulmonary valve

this valve is the last of the four that are in the heart. This valve lies between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, it prevents back flow from the pulmonary artery back into the right ventricle. 

Aorta

The aorta is the main artery of the body, it is originates in the left ventricle and it carries oxygenated blood throughout the whole body, taking blood to every muscle and bit of tissue except to the lungs.

Superior vena cava

This is one of the main veins of the body, it is a vein that receives deoxygenated blood from the upper body the empty into the right atrium of the heart. Without the superior vena cave none of the deoxigenated blood would be able to return to the heart from the upper body.

Inferior vena cava

This is the vein that carries all deoxygenated blood from the lower body, into the right atrium of the heart. without the inferior vena cave none of the deoxigenated blood would be able to return to the heart from the lower body.

Pulmonary vein 

This vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. without this vein we would not get any oxygen into the heart and pumped around the body

Pulmonary artery

This is another very important artery that carries deoxygenated blood from the heart back to the lungs and it is the only artery that carrie deoxygenated blood. without this artery our blood would not be able to get back to the lungs to pick up more oxygen.

The basic functions of the cardiovascular system are 

Delivery of oxygen and nutrients

removal of wast product

thermoregulation

functions of the blood

The Delivery of nutrients is the key function of the cardiovascular system, it transports oxygen and nutrients to the working tissue and muscles of the body. without this role being for-filled, all of our tissue and muscles would not be provided with the nutrients that they need to survive. They would therefor die. The cardiovascular system also removes wast products from the blood, it is taking all of the waste products from the tissues and muscles of the body to the kidneys and the delivers carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Also when we exercise, it is required that there are some adjustments to the blood flow, this blood adjustment effects the cardiovascular system. This is because the cardiovascular system is responsible for the distribution of heat throughout the body. There are also the functions of the blood 

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The cardiovascular system is also involved in

Vasodilation

Vasoconstriction of vessels

oxygen transport

clotting

fighting infections 

Vasodilation is when we are enduring exercise, when this happens the vascular proportion of active muscles increases through dilation of arterioles. This causes an increase in the diameter of the blood vessels to decrease the amount of resistance to the blood flow. Vasoconstriction is what happens when blood vessels temporarily shut down blood flow to tissues. This happens when the diameter of the blood vessels decrease, which increases the resistance to the flow of blood. Transporting oxygen is one of the most important roles, when we exercise, the demand for oxygen increases because all of our tissues and muscles require more nutrients and fuel to carry on working. Our cardiovascular system also protects our body in two very distinctive ways, one is by clotting. this is when the damaged blood vessel is swarmed with white blood vessels. Platelets form a layer over the damaged blood vessel and plasma components respond to form another layer which strengthens the wall. Our cardiovascular system also protects out body by fighting infections Fighting infections is done by the white blood cells in the blood.