& Healing Centre
|
|
|
Cardiovascular Health.
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes
nutrients (such as amino acids and electrolytes), gases, hormones, blood cells,
nitrogen waste products, etc. to and from cells in the body to help fight
diseases and help stabilize body temperature and pH to maintain homeostasis.
This system may be seen strictly as a blood distribution network, but some
consider the circulatory system as composed of the cardiovascular system, which
distributes blood, and the lymphatic system, which distributes lymph. While
humans, as well as other vertebrates, have a closed cardiovascular system
(meaning that the blood never leaves the network of arteries, veins and
capillaries), some invertebrate groups have an open cardiovascular system. The
most primitive animal phyla lack circulatory system. The lymphatic system, on
the other hand, is an open system.
The main components of the human circulatory system are the heart, the blood,
and the blood vessels. The circulatory system includes: the pulmonary
circulation, a "loop" through the lungs where blood is oxygenated; and the
systemic circulation, a "loop" through the rest of the body to provide
oxygenated blood. An average adult contains five to six quarts (roughly 4.7 to
5.7 liters) of blood, which consists of plasma, red blood cells, white blood
cells, and platelets. Also, the digestive system works with the circulatory
system to provide the nutrients the system needs to keep the heart pumping.
Two types of fluids move through the circulatory system: blood and lymph. The
blood, heart, and blood vessels form the cardiovascular system. The lymph, lymph
nodes, and lymph vessels form the lymphatic system. The cardiovascular system
and the lymphatic system collectively make up the circulatory system
