The

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The
Cardiovascular
System
By Adam Majusiak
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The Heart
The heart is the most important part of the
cardiovascular system. Made of cardiac muscle,
it pumps blood throughout the body, as well as to
the lungs. The heart has five main parts. These
parts are the Right Ventricle, the Left
Ventricle, the Right Atrium, the Left Atrium, and
the Septum.
Left Atrium
Right Atrium
Left Ventricle
Right Ventricle
Septum
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Right Ventricle
Left Ventricle
The Right Ventricle pumps blood to the lungs,
and uses less force than the left ventricle
because it has to travel a much shorter distance.
The Left Ventricle pumps blood to the rest of the
body, and has thicker walls. It uses more force
than the right ventricle.
Septum
Left Ventricle
Right Ventricle
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Left Atrium
Right Atrium
The Left Atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from
the lungs. It puts the blood through a valve to
the left ventricle.
The Right Atrium receives oxygen-poor blood from
the body. It then helps the blood into the Right
Ventricle to be pumped to the lungs
Left Atrium
Right Atrium
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Different Kinds of Blood Vessels
There are three types of blood vessels.
Arteries are vessels that carry blood away from
the heart, and are usually much thicker than
veins. Veins are vessels that carry blood back
to the heart. Capillaries are vessels in which
materials are exchanged with cells in the body.
Blood travels through the arteries first, then
through the capillaries to the veins, where it is
taken back to the heart.
Artery
Vein
Epithelial cells
Capillary
Smooth Muscle
Capillary Wall (1 cell thick)
Connective tissue
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Our Journey Begins
Our journey begins. We are a group of red blood
cells traveling through the Cardiovascular
system. Fasten your seat belt and prepare for
takeoff!
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In The Right Ventricle
We are in the right Ventricle, and are about to
be pumped to the lungs. We are lacking in
oxygen, and are transporting carbon dioxide to be
exhaled. Here we go!
Red blood cells (no oxygen)
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To the Lungs
Now we travel through an artery leading to the
lungs
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Capillaries in Lungs
We are in the lungs. As we enter a capillary,
the oxygen the body has inhaled, the water that
comes in with the oxygen, and the other valuable
nutrients that are picked up along the way pass
through the capillary wall and into us. In turn,
the carbon dioxide passes from us into the lungs.

Carbon Dioxide
Oxygen
Water
Other Nutrients
Capillary/Lung Wall
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In the Pulmonary Vein
After we stop and pick up the three things at
the lungs, We must again go to the heart. This
time, we enter through the Left Atrium.
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The Left Side of the Heart
We are in the left side of the heart. We enter
through the left atrium, then pass through a
valve into the left ventricle. There we are
forcefully pumped to the Aorta, the largest
artery in the body.
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The Aorta
We are now in the Aorta, the largest artery in
the body. The rest of our journey will take us
to the index finger and then back to the heart.
The Aorta branches off into many separate,
smaller arteries. We take the one leading to the
left hand.
Aorta
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In the Left Hand
We have traveled through many arteries to get
here, but now we enter a thin capillary to
exchange materials with cells in the left index
finger. Unload cargo!
Carbon Dioxide
Water
Other Nutrients
Oxygen
Cell / Capillary wall
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Back to the Heart Yet Again
We are in a vein leading to the heart. We are
again loaded with waste products, and are low in
oxygen. Headed to the lungs after the heart, we
limp slowly along, pushed along by small muscles.
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In the Right Atrium
We are in the right atrium, and are preparing
for our journey to the lungs. We pass through a
valve into the right ventricle where the journey
begins all over again.
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The
Cardiovascular
System
This has been a presentation by Adam Majusiak.
If you were interested in this check out your
local library.