The Circulatory System

The Circulatory System is responsible for transporting materials throughout the

entire body. It transports nutrients, water, and oxygen to body cells and carries
away wastes such as carbon dioxide that the body cells produce. It is an
amazing highway that travels through the entire body connecting all body cells.

Parts of the Circulatory System

The circulatory System is divided into three major parts:

1. The Heart
2. The Blood
3. The Blood Vessels

The Blood Vessels

1. Arteries
2. Capillaries
3. Veins

Arteries

Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen rich blood AWAY from the heart.

Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect arteries to veins. Nutrients,
oxygen and wastes pass in and out of your blood through the capillary walls.

Veins carry blood back toward the heart.

The blood flow

Blood flow refers to the movement of blood through the vessels from arteries to
the capillaries and then into the veins. Pressure is the measure of the force that
the blood exerts against the vessel walls as it moves the blood through the
vessels.

The rate, or velocity, of blood flow varies inversely with the total cross-sectional
area of the blood vessels. As the cross sectional area of the vessels increases,
the velocity of flow decreases. Blood flow is lowest in the capillaries, which allows
time for exchange of gasses and nutrients.

Capillary to Tissue Fluid Exchange

Capillaries are where fluids, gasses, nutrients, and wastes are exchanged
between the blood and body tissues by diffusion. Capillary walls contain small
pores that allow certain substances to pass into and out of the blood vessel. Fluid
exchange is controlled by blood pressure within the capillary vessel (hydrostatic
pressure) and osmotic pressure of the blood within the vessel. The osmotic
pressure is produced by high concentrations of salts and plasma proteins in the
blood. The capillary walls allow water and small solutes to pass between its
pores but does not allow proteins to pass through.

• As blood enters the capillary bed on the arteriole end, the blood pressure
in the capillary vessel is greater than the osmotic pressure of the blood in
the vessel. The net result is that fluid moves from the vessel to the body
tissue.

• At the middle of the capillary bed, blood pressure in the vessel equals the
osmotic pressure of the blood in the vessel. The net result is that fluid
passes equally between the capillary vessel and the body tissue. Gasses,
nutrients, and wastes are also exchanged at this point.

• On the venule end of the capillary bed, blood pressure in the vessel is less
than the osmotic pressure of the blood in the vessel. The net result is that
fluid, carbon dioxide and wastes are drawn from the body tissue into the
capillary vessel.
The Excretory System

Human kidneys are located near the spinal column in the lower back, just below
the rib cage. They are bean-shaped organs about the size of a clenched fist. The
kidneys serve as the waste-removal organs of the body.

The kidneys receive blood that contains a mixture of proteins, toxins and
minerals through the renal artery, which is connected to the aorta. During
filtration, the kidneys measure the amounts of vitamins and minerals needed in
the body, sending the needed quantities our through the renal vein and into the
vena cava. The waste material collects in the tubules connected to the nephrons
and moves to a collecting duct, which connects to the renal pelvis, a collection
chamber for urine.

In the case of PIH, vasospasm in the kidney increases blood flow resistance.
Degenerative changes develop in the kidney glomeruli because of the back
pressure. This leads to increased permeability of the glomerular membrane
allowing the serum proteins, albumin and globulin to escape into the urine.

The degenerative changes also result in decreased glomerular filtration so there

is lowered urine output and clearance of creatinine, and increased tubular
reabsorption of sodium occurs; because sodium retains fluid, edema results.
Edema is further increased because, as more protein is lost, the osmotic
pressure of the circulating blood falls, and fluid diffuses from the circulatory
system into the denser interstitial spaces to equalize the pressure. Extreme
edema can lead to brain edema and seizures as in eclampsia.