What are the three components in circulatory system?
The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system, consists of three main components:
1. Heart:
- The heart is a muscular organ that acts as the pump of the circulatory system.
- It consists of four chambers: two atria (left and right) and two ventricles (left and right).
- The atria receive blood from the body and lungs, while the ventricles pump blood out to the body and lungs.
- The heart's pumping action is coordinated by electrical signals generated by specialized cells called the sinoatrial node (SA node) and atrioventricular node (AV node).
2. Blood Vessels:
- Blood vessels are channels or pathways through which blood flows throughout the body.
- There are three types of blood vessels: arteries, capillaries, and veins.
- Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to tissues and organs.
- Capillaries are tiny, thin-walled vessels where the exchange of substances occurs between blood and body tissues.
- Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart from tissues and organs.
3. Blood:
- Blood is a tissue that circulates throughout the body, transporting essential substances and removing waste products.
- It consists of plasma, red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), platelets (thrombocytes), and various dissolved substances.
- Plasma is the liquid component of blood that makes up about 55% of its volume and contains water, proteins, electrolytes, hormones, and waste products.
- Red blood cells carry oxygen, white blood cells fight infections, platelets help in blood clotting, and plasma transports various substances.