Cardiovascular System Research Paper

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1. The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart and blood vessels that consist of veins, capillaries, and arteries. The heart, which is the size of a fist, weighs between 250 to 250 grams, depending on if you are male or female. The heart is divided into four sections that consist of two atriums and two ventricles. The atriums receive blood and pass it along to the ventricles. The right atrium receives blood from the superior and inferior vena cava and the coronary sinus. This blood is deoxygenated. This blood is pumped to the heart where it becomes oxygenated and heads back to the left side of the heart through the pulmonary veins into the left atrium. The oxygenated passes through to the left ventricle where it is pumped out through…show more content…
They are responsible for bringing blood to and from the heart and delivering oxygen, carbon dioxide and small chemicals to the tissues of the body. Arteries, which are thick and muscular, carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the tissues of the body. Except for the pulmonary arteries which carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs so it can become oxygenated. Capillaries are tiny and a thin wall, as they do not receive as much pressure as the arteries do. They take oxygen and nutrients to the tissues of the body. The veins collect blood from the capillaries and return the blood back to the heart. 2. The heart contains three layers; epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium. The epicardium is the innermost layer of the pericardium and is fused to the heart, making it a part of the heart wall. The middle layer is the myocardium and consists of cardiac muscle and assists with the hearts contraction. The endocardium is the inner layer and lines with the chambers of the heart, where the blood circulates and covers the hearts valves. The epicardium may also play a role in regulating contractions with the…show more content…
The innermost layer is called the tunica intima. The muscular layer is the tunica media and the outermost layer is the tunica externa. Capillaries only have a tunica intima, as they are one cell layer thick (“Structure and Function of Blood Vessels,”

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