Cardiovascular System Overview Youtube

• Cardiovascular system


  Also called the circulatory system, the transportation system of the body
• Major structures of the cardiovascular system

  • Heart
  • Blood vessels
  • Blood
• Function of the cardiovascular system

  1. Heart pumps blood

  2. Moves nutrients through blood vessels

  3. Removes metabolic wastes
• Purpose of this video is to present a basic understanding of the cardiovascular system
• More in-depth study of the cardiovascular system will be presented in other CTE videos
• Heart


  • Has two major circuits within the circulatory pathway
  • Pulmonary pathway
  • Systemic pathway
• Pulmonary pathway


  1. Right side of heart pushes blood through

  2. Blood gets oxygenated in the lungs
• Systemic pathway


  1. Left side of heart pumps oxygenated blood to the entire body

  2. Blood returned to heart
• Heart is actually two pumps divided by a septum or wall
• Heart


  • Involuntary muscle that works somewhat independently from the nervous system
• Heart


  • Muscular organ with four hollow chambers
  • Two atria (upper chambers)
  • Two ventricles (lower chambers)
• Heart


  • Made up of three layers of tissues
  • Endocardium (innermost layer)
  • Myocardium (middle layer)
  • Pericardium (outer layer)
• Blood vessels


  Carry blood throughout the body
• Blood vessels


  • Arteries (carry blood from heart to body)
  • Veins (carry blood from body to heart)
• Blood flow through blood vessels

  1. Arteries (largest is aorta)

  2. Arterioles

  3. Arterial capillaries

  4. Venous capillaries

  5. Venules

  6. Veins (largest are superior and inferior vena cava)
• Blood


  Fluid or liquid known as plasma, made up of 90% water
• Main substances in blood

  • Erythrocytes (red blood cells)
  • Leukocytes (white blood cells)
  • Thrombocytes (platelets)
• Heart


  • Has its own electrical system designed to work independently from the nervous system
• Conductive pathway within the heart

  1. SA node (pacemaker)

  2. AV node

  3. Bundle of His

  4. Purkinje fibers
• Heart beats roughly 100,000 times a day
• Heart is subject to disease and conditions, number one reason for early demise is heart failure
• Future CTE videos will discuss heart conditions further