circulatory system
Sign in to savethree independent systems that work together: cardiovascular, pulmonary and systemic
AI overview
Your circulatory system is made up of three independent systems working together—the cardiovascular system (your heart and blood vessels), the pulmonary system (which moves blood to and from your lungs), and the systemic system (which delivers blood throughout your body)—all of which work to transport oxygen, nutrients, and other vital materials where they need to go. This matters because without your circulatory system constantly moving these essential substances through your body, your cells and organs couldn't function.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart and blood vessels (from Greek kardia meaning heart, and Latin vascula meaning vessels). The circulatory system has two divisions, a systemic circulation or circuit, and a pulmonary circulation or circuit. Some sources use the terms cardiovascular system and vascular system interchangeably with circulatory system.
The network of blood vessels are the great vessels of the heart including large elastic arteries, and large veins; other arteries, smaller arterioles, capillaries that join with venules (small veins), and other veins. The circulatory system is closed in vertebrates, which means that the blood never leaves the network of blood vessels. Many invertebrates such as arthropods have an open circulatory system with a heart that pumps a hemolymph which returns via the body cavity rather than via blood vessels. Diploblasts such as sponges and comb jellies lack a circulatory system.