How does the heart work with lungs?

The heart and lungs work together in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to supply the body with oxygen and remove waste products like carbon dioxide. Here's how they collaborate:

1. Pulmonary Circulation:

- The heart's right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body through two large veins called the superior vena cava (from the upper body) and the inferior vena cava (from the lower body).

- From the right atrium, the blood flows into the right ventricle.

- The right ventricle contracts, pumping the deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary arteries, which carry it to the lungs.

- In the lungs, the blood is oxygenated as it passes through tiny blood vessels called capillaries, where gas exchange occurs between the air and the blood.

2. Systemic Circulation:

- The oxygenated blood returns to the heart through the pulmonary veins, entering the left atrium.

- From the left atrium, the blood moves into the left ventricle.

- The left ventricle contracts, pumping the oxygenated blood into the aorta, the largest artery in the body.

- The aorta branches into smaller arteries that carry the oxygenated blood throughout the body's tissues and organs, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells.

While the heart pumps blood to the lungs (pulmonary circulation) and the rest of the body (systemic circulation), the lungs exchange gases, facilitating the uptake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide.

The heart and lungs are in continuous coordination, ensuring that oxygen-rich blood is pumped throughout the body, and deoxygenated blood is returned to the lungs to repeat the process. This collaboration is crucial for maintaining the proper balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream, sustaining cellular respiration, and supporting overall health.