Blood circulation is the key to life; without blood circulation, life will cease. Blood circulates through the human body through three vascular systems: the cardiac, the arterial and the venous system. Here's how these three systems function together to circulate the blood and sustain life.
Significance
Living animal tissue--including human--relies on the constant circulation of blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to every living cell and to carry waste away. Any interruption in blood circulation will result in the deterioration of living tissue. Prolong interruption will result in death of the tissue. The death of tissue may result in the death of the organism. Understanding blood circulation is imperative for all healthcare professionals.
Types
There are three basic types of blood circulation. Each is dependent on the other to circulate blood through the body. Blood circulation begins with the cardiac system--the heart, which is the blood pump. The heart pumps the blood to the second system, the arterial system, which carries the blood to the tissues. The tissues gather the oxygen and nutrients from the blood and deposit the waste into the blood. The blood is removed from the tissues into the third system, the venous system, which carries the blood back to the heart.
Features
The cardiac system is made of the heart and great vessels. The heart is a muscle that contract to circulate blood. It also has one-way valves deliver the blood in the correct direction. The arterial system has three layers of tissue. The innermost layer is called the tunica intima, a smooth surface to reduce friction of the blood. The middle layer, called the tunica media, is a layer of muscle tissue that contracts and relaxes the artery. The outer layer, tunica adventitia, is made up of strong connective tissue to prevent the artery from rupturing under the pressure of the circulating blood. The venous system also consist of three layers, but they are not as well developed as the arterial system. The venous system does not pump blood, but rather depends on gravity and the surrounding muscles to deliver the blood back to the heart. The venous system does have a valve feature to prevent the blood from circulating in the wrong direction.
Effects
Each of the three blood circulation systems have an effect on each other that maintains blood circulation. Blood circulation must reach each and every cell of all the tissue in the body for the tissue to remain viable. The arterial blood circulation affects the tissues by delivering oxygen and nutrients the tissue need to live. The venous systems affect the tissues by removing all the waste and toxins produced by the tissue to prevent the tissue from dying.
Prevention/Solution
In order to prevent any interruption in blood circulation, it is imperative that all three circulation systems be healthy and free of disease. Heart disease or any heart condition may prevent the pump form working efficiently and supplying the proper amount of blood to the arterial system. Diseases of the arterial system that causes narrowing or blockage may deprive the tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Venous systems that are diseased or blocked may cause a backup of blood in the tissues with waste products. Also, adequate blood may not be returned to the heart to be pumped back out.
Prevention of any of these conditions is the ultimate goal, and modern day medicine has developed treatments and procedures to provide some solutions to these problems.
Potential
Recent strides in medical advances have produced new drugs to enhance a diseased heart. There have been advancements in artificial hearts and pumping devices. Potential new developments in vascular prosthetics and procedures will afford new conduits of blood circulation to the tissues. These include laboratory-engineered arteries to be used for transplants. New treatments for veins and the venous system, including advanced laser procedures, may alleviate venous disruption of blood circulation.
Tags: venous system, arterial system, blood circulation, oxygen nutrients, circulate blood, back heart, blood back