ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Crculatory System
The circulatory system is made up of the vessels and the muscles that
help and control the flow of the blood around the body. This process is called circulation.
The main part of the system are heart, arteries, capilaris and veins.

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary sustances to the body's
cells - such as nutrients and oxygen - and transport wastes products away from those
same cells.

Red Blood Cells - also called erthrocytes, are biconcave discs, which mean their
centers are thinner than their edges. These are the only human cells without nuclei.
They contain the protein hemoglobin, which gives them to carry the oxygen.

White Blood Cells - also called eukolytes that larger than RBC's and have nuclei when
mature. There are five kinds WBCs: neutrophils, eosinophils, lyhmpocytes and
monocytes. They all contribute to the same general function, which is to protect the
body from infectious didsease and to provide immunity to certain disease.

Platelets - more formally known as thrombocytes, which are not whole cells but rather
are fragments or pieces of cells. They are necessary for hemostasis, which means
prevention of blood loss.

Arteries - carry blood from the heart to capllaries; smaller arteries are called arterioles. If
we look at an artery in cross-section, we find three layers (or tunics) of tissues each with
different functions (Fig 13-1). The innermost layer, or tunica intima, consists of a lining, a
fine network of connective tissue, and a layer of elastic fibres bound together in a
membrane pierced with many openings. The tunica media, or middle coat, is made up
principally of smooth (involuntary) muscle cells and elastic fibres arranged in roughly
spiral layers. The outermost coat, or tunica adventitia, is a tough layer consisting mainly
of collagen fibres that act as a supportive element. The large arteries differ structurally
from the medium-sized arteries in that they have a much thicker tunica media and a
somewhat thicker tunica adventitia. The outer and middle layers of large layers are quiet
quick. In the smallest arterioles only individual smooth muscle cells encircle the tunica
intima. As mentioned, the smooth muscle layers enable arteries to constrict or dilate.
Such changes in diameter are regulated by medulla and autonomic nervous system,
and will be discussed in a later section on blood pressure.

Veins carry blood from capillaries back to the heart; the smaller veins are called
venules. The same three tissue layers are in present in veins as in the walls of
arteries, but there are some difference when compared to the arterial layer. The
inner layer of vein is smooth endothelium, but at the intervals this lining is folded to
form valves. Valves prevent backflow of bloods and are most numerous in veins of
the legs, where blood must often return to heart against the force of gravity. The
middle of vein is thin layer of smooth muscles