The systemic circulatory system is just one of three circulatory system we have in our body. Each with a different role and varying features.
You will need to know how the blood flows around the body and the names of the blood vessels that make up The Systemic Circulatory System
At the bottom of this blog, you’ll also find three mock questions to test your knowledge
Watch the 7 minute video about The Systemic Circulatory System:
The Three Cirulatory Systems
You may think that we have one network of blood vessels that transport blood around the body, and you’d be correct. However, this one system is divided into three further circulatory systems. Each with a different role and function.
- Coronary Circulatory System = just serves blood flow to the HEART muscle itself
- Pulmonary Circulatory System = transports blood too and from the LUNGS
- Systemic Circulatory System = transports blood too and from the BODY
Today, we are just going to focus on the latter
What is the Systemic Circulatory System
This branch of the Circulatory System has two primary roles:
To transport oxygenated blood and nutrients to the muscles, organs, and tissues of the body
And to transport deoxygenated blood and waste products from the muscles, organs, and tissues of the body and return it to the heart (so it can be moved to the pulmonary circulatory system).
The Systemic Circulatory System follows a specific route of blood flow, starting with the Left Ventricle and ending at the Right Atrium.
Blood flow of the Systemic Circulatory System:
The blood flow follows this specific route, you can also follow this on the image below:
- Left Ventricle
- Aorta
- Arteries
- Arterioles
- Capillaries
- Organs, Muscles and Tissues of the body
- Capillaries
- Venules
- Veins
- Vena Cava
- Right Atrium
Notice that the blood vessels are symmetrical, they have their functional opposite.
The oxygenated side has the large Aorta, then the Arteries, then arterioles then capillaries… all reducing in thickness of blood vessels.
However, the other side works in the opposite direction flowing capillaries, Venules, Veins, Vena Cava… all increasing in thickness of the blood vessels.
This is a good way of remembering the route of blood around the Systemic Circulatory System and recognising key features of blood flow.
Test your knowledge with more mock questions:
[NOTE: The answers are below the 3rd questions]
Q1: Where does Oxygranted blood flow to after leaving the Aorta?
A. Arteries
B. Venules
C. Arterioles
D. RIght Atrium
Q2: Where does de-oxygenated flow to after leaving the capillaries?
A. Arterioles
B. Veins
C. Venules
D. Arteries
Q3: Which heart chamber is part of the systemic circulatory system?
A. Left Atrium
B. Left Ventricle
C. Right Ventricle
D. Vena Cava
Answers to the mock questions are :
Question 1= A, Question 2 = C, Question 3 = B
If you want more mock questions like this, then you can download more Free Mock Questions: DOWNLOAD NOW
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