BIOLOGY CO – SCIENCE
HUMAN TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
The mammalian circulatory system consists of the heart, blood vessels and blood.
The system allows the movement of blood around the body. Blood is the transport medium
which distributes essential substances to body and collects their metabolic waste.
TYPES OF CIRCULATION
The mammalian circulatory system is known as double circulatory system/dual circulatory
system. It is made up of two main systems of circulation
1) Pulmonary circulation
It is circulation of blood between the heart and the lungs
It is low pressure circulation
2) Systemic circulation
It is circulation of blood between the heart and the rest of the body systems
It is high pressure circulation
THE HEART
It is the main organ of blood circulation. It consists of muscles called cardiac muscles which
contracts and relaxes continuously.
CHAMBERS OF THE HEART
Right Atrium
Left Atrium
Right ventricle
Left ventricle
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STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN HEART
The septum separates the right and left chamber of the heart. It prevents mixing of
deoxygenated blood with oxygenated blood
Valves prevent the backflow of blood
The left ventricle has thicker muscles than the right ventricle because the left ventricle
pumps blood to all parts of the body and the right ventricle only pumps blood to the lungs
THE CARDIAC CYCLE
Deoxygenated blood enters the heart through the vena cava
It moves to the right atrium down to right ventricle.
Right ventricle has muscles which pumps blood to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.
In the lungs blood is oxygenated and comes back to the heart through the pulmonary vein.
It moves down the left atrium to the left ventricle.
The left ventricle then pumps oxygenated blood to all parts of the body via the aorta
Vena cava → Right atrium → Right ventricle→ Pulmonary artery→ Lungs→ Pulmonary vein → Left
atrium→ Left ventricle→ Aorta→ Rest of the body
*Hepatic portal vein – carries blood from the small intestines to the liver
It carries blood rich in dissolved nutrients
*Hepatic vein - Carries blood from liver to the heart
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BLOOD VESSELS
The circulatory system is made up of vessels that help in the transportation of blood.
The vessels are Arteries , Veins and Capillaries
Arteries branch into arterioles and then capillaries.
Veins branch into venules and then into capillaries.
ARTERIES VEINS AND CAPILLARIES
ARTERIES VEINS CAPILLARIES
Small lumen large lumen Very small lumen
Thick muscular wall Thin muscular wall Very thin one cell thick wall
Elastic muscular wall Less elastic muscular wall Non elastic muscular wall
Absence of valves Valves present to prevent Absence of valves
backflow of blood from the
heart
Circular cross section Oval cross section Circular cross section
Walls not permeable Walls not permeable Walls permeable to tissue
fluid
Transport blood away from Transport blood to the heart Transport blood from artery
the heart to vein
Carry oxygenated blood Carry deoxygenated blood Carries both oxygenated and
except the pulmonary artery except the pulmonary vein deoxygenated blood
Carry blood at high pressure Carry blood at low pressure Low rate of blood flow to
allow maximum diffusion of
substances
Pulse is strong No pulse No pulse
*NB. The arteries, veins and capillaries are connected vessels. During blood circulation blood from
the heart is transported via arteries and these branch down to capillaries. The capillaries develop
into veins and the veins bring blood to the heart
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BLOOD
It is the transport medium of the circulatory system it carries substances all around the
body
Blood is transported via blood vessels to parts of the body
It is a tissue because it contains similar cells which carry out similar collective functions.
COMPONENTS OF BLOOD AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
BLOOD COMPONENT FUNCTION
Red blood cells Transportation of oxygen around the body
White blood cells Fights against diseases and infections
Plasma Transportation of substances around the body
Platelets Blood clotting
FUNCTIONS OF BLOOD
Transport medium
Transportation of substances, nutrients and waste products
Protection and Defence
White blood cells fight against infection and diseases
Platelets helps in blood clotting to prevent entry of infection
Homeostasis
Maintenance of constant body temperature, water, salts and glucose level
Heat distribution
Distributes heat to all body organs
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