Chapter 3

Circulatory System

Compendium
A. The Circulatory System
a. Introduction
b. Parts of the circulatory system
B. Heart
a. Structure
b. Function
c. How to maintain a healthy heart?
C. Blood
a. Components of Blood
b. Functions of Blood
D. Blood Vessel
a. Structure and functions
E. Process of Circulation
F. Bird’s-eye view
G. Solved NCERT questions
H. Exercise

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Circulatory System
A. The Circulatory System
The organ system consists of organs that perform a specific function. For
example, the respiratory system helps in the intake of oxygen and the removal
of carbon dioxide. The circulatory system is an organ system that allows the
transport of substances such as nutrients, water, and oxygen inside our body. It
removes waste gases, such as carbon dioxide, from the body through blood.

Try and learn

What is the role of oxygen in our body?

Parts of the circulatory system

The circulatory system is made up of the following three main parts:
• Heart
• Blood
• Blood vessels

Fig 1: Circulatory System

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B. Heart
The human heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood to all parts of the body. It
is located in the upper center part of the body. It is present between the lungs
and is slightly tilted towards the left. The heart is also protected well by the
ribcage. The heart functions throughout its lifetime by pumping oxygen-rich
blood to body parts.

Did you know?

The largest heart among living creatures belongs to Blue Whale. It

weighs roughly 182 Kg.

Structure of the Heart

The size of a human heart is the size of a closed fist. It is mainly made up of
muscles. It consists of four chambers – two upper chambers and two lower
chambers. The upper chambers are called atria (sing. Atrium), which means
entrance.
The atria receive blood coming from the
rest of the body. The lower chambers are
called ventricles, which means a belly-like
pouch into which blood flows from the
atria. The ventricles pump blood to
different parts of the body.
Blood vessels pour blood into the heart's
upper chambers and blood vessels that
carry the blood away from the heart to
various Fig 2: Human Heart
body parts.

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Function of the Heart
The primary function of the heart is to pump oxygen-rich blood to all cells in the
body. It also receives carbon dioxide from all parts of the body and pumps it to
the lungs for purification. It also transports nutrients.
The rhythmic movement of the heart while pumping blood is called the
Heartbeat. We can feel this pumping movement of the heart on your wrist or
the neck.
To feel the heart's pumping movement on your wrist, turn your left hand so that
the palm faces upwards. Then, place the first three fingers of your right hand on
the left wrist, about 1 inch away from your left thumb base. You will feel a
pumping movement, and this is called a pulse. This method of checking the
pulse is called trisection. For an adult human being, the pulse rate can vary from
60-100 beats per minute.

How to maintain a healthy heart?

For our body to function properly, it is vital to keep our heart healthy. The best
way to do this is to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. We should do the
following regularly:
i.Eat a balanced diet.
ii.Try to avoid junk food and fried food.
iii.Walk daily for at least 3-4kms, ideally in the morning.
iv.Avoid vehicular transport for short distances and walk instead.
v.Exercise at least 30 mins every day, ideally in the morning.
vi.Avoid sitting for too long. Try to get up at regular intervals, walk around for
some time, and then continue the sitting position.
vii.Actively participate in outdoor sports such as football, cricket, hockey, and
badminton.
viii.Stay away from a polluted environment.
ix.Stay happy and avoid stress.

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Yoga is a good form of exercise to keep the heart healthy and improve blood
circulation. Regular practice of simple yoga exercises improves the overall
fitness of the body. There are several benefits of practicing yoga.
• It increases muscle strength and improves the functioning of the lungs.
• It helps in decreasing anxiety and stress and gives a feeling of well-being.
• It boosts energy, improves memory, and increases concentration and attention.
• It improves fitness and weight reduction and prevents high blood pressure and
high blood sugar level.
• It helps relieve joint pain in elderly persons.

Did you know?

Walnuts, Almonds, Olive oil, Black beans, Tuna are some food products
that keep the heart-healthy.

When fresh herbs are added to food instead of excess salt and fat, you
make a heart-healthy choice.

Try and learn

• What is a pulse?
• Can indoor games help in boosting heart health?

C. BLOOD
Blood is a substance that flows inside the human body through muscular tubes
called blood vessels. The heart pumps blood to all the organs of the body. Blood
is primarily responsible for the transportation of nutrients (from the digested
food), water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide within our body.

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Components of Blood
Blood contains a liquid part called plasma and cells. Plasma consists of water
and other components, including nutrients, waste molecules, proteins, etc.
Blood cells include Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, etc. The Red Blood Cells
transport oxygen, and the White Blood Cells help defend the body against
foreign substances.

Functions of Blood
i.Blood helps in the transportation of gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide
throughout the body. The red blood cells (RBCs) present in the blood take the
oxygen from the lungs to all the body cells. They also collect carbon dioxide
from these cells and take it back to the lungs.
ii.Blood carries the nutrients generated during digestion from different parts of
the digestive system to all body cells.
iii.Blood helps in carrying the waste generated by the cells of the body to the
kidneys for filtering.
iv.Blood helps maintain the body's temperature; that is, it prevents the body
from becoming too hot or too cold.
v.The White Blood Cells (WBCs) present in the blood protect the body from
infections and disease-causing microorganisms.

D. Blood vessels
Blood vessels are thin muscular tubes that carry blood throughout the body.
They form a network within the body so that blood can be transported to all
parts of the body. Blood vessels are of three types: arteries, veins, and capillaries.
Structure and functions of blood vessels
Let us understand the different blood vessels in our body.
Arteries
The largest of the three blood vessels is the artery. They carry oxygen-rich blood
from the heart to different parts of the body. Each artery gets divided into
smaller tubes to form a network throughout the body.

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The largest artery in our body is called Aorta. It is the main artery coming out of
the heart. Another important artery is the carotid artery that carries blood from
the heart to the brain.
Veins
Veins are thinner than the arteries. They carry blood from different parts of the
body back to the heart. Veins can carry more blood than the arteries. They contain
special structures called valves that prevent blood going to the heart from
flowing back to the body parts. Veins get divided into smaller tubes to form a
network throughout the body.

The largest vein in our body is the Vena cava which opens into the atria of the
heart. It collects blood from all body parts.

Capillaries
Capillaries are the thinnest and smallest of the three blood vessels. They connect
the arteries to the veins.

D. Process of circulation
The continuous movement of essential
nutrients, oxygen, and carbon dioxide
between the heart and the rest of the
body through blood vessels is called
circulation. Veins carry carbon dioxide-
rich blood from different parts of the
body to the heart. The heart pumps the
impure blood received from the body
to the lungs. Blood vessels from the
lungs carry blood containing oxygen to
the heart. Heart pumps the pure,
oxygen-rich blood obtained from the lungs to other parts of the body.

Fig 3: Blood vessels

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Fig 4: Process of circulation

Bird’s-eye view
• The circulatory system is made up of the heart, blood, and blood vessels.
• The heart is a muscular organ. It pumps blood to all parts of our body. The
ribcage protects it.
• Doing simple yoga exercises under the guidance of an expert or a trained yoga
teacher can keep our heart strong and healthy.
• Blood flows inside the blood vessels and transports nutrients, water, oxygen,
and carbon dioxide throughout the body.
• Blood vessels are tube-like structures that carry blood throughout the body.
They are of three types.
• Arteries supply blood from the heart to different parts of the body.
• Veins carry blood from different parts of the body back to the heart.
• Capillaries connect arteries to veins. They are the thinnest of the blood vessels.
• The continuous movement of essential nutrients, oxygen, and carbon dioxide
between the heart and the rest of the body through blood vessels is called
circulation.

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A. Choose the correct option.

1. The heart is protected by the…………..
a. blood b. blood vessels
c. ribcage d. kidneys
2. It flows inside the blood vessels and transports nutrients, water, oxygen, and
carbon dioxide within our body.
a. Urine b. Blood
c. Heart d blood vessels
3. These blood vessels carry blood from the heart to different parts of the body.
a. Veins b. Capillaries
c. Arteries d. All of them
4. To keep the heart healthy and strong, we should:
a. Eat a balanced diet b. Never exercise
c. Sleep as little as possible d. None of these
5. These cells present in the blood protect the body from infections and disease-
causing organisms.
a. RBCs b. WBCs
c. Both a and bd. None of these
B. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank.
1. The……………(excretory/circulatory) system helps in transporting substances within
our body through blood.
2. The rhythmic movement that the heart makes while pumping blood is called
the……………(heartbeat/breathing).
3. ……………….(Arteries/Veins) are the largest of the three blood vessels.
4. …………………(Aorta/Carotid) is the main artery coming out of the heart.
5. The……………….(aorta/carotid) artery carries blood from the heart to the brain.

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C. Name the following.
1. The thin tubes that carry blood throughout our body
2. The blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the different parts of the
body
3. The blood vessels that carry blood from the different parts of the body to the
heart
4. The blood vessels that connect arteries to veins.

SECTION II
D. Short answer questions.
1. How does the circulatory system help us?
2. What are the parts of the circulatory system?
3. Write a short note on arteries,
4. List any two ways in which you can keep your heart healthy.
E. Long answer questions.
1. Describe the various parts of the circulatory system.
2. List the functions of blood.
3. Write the differences between arteries and veins.
4. Write any three benefits of yoga.

A. Think about
1. Why is it important to keep the heart healthy? What would happen if the heart
stops functioning?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………

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C. Try Out
Using modeling clay, create a model of the circulatory system and paste it on
a cardboard. Label its parts.

Solve the crossword puzzle by checking the clues given below.

Across
3. Blood vessels that carry blood from different parts of the body to the heart
5. Blood vessels that connect arteries to veins
6. Substance that flows inside the body and transports nutrients, oxygen,
and carbon dioxide
Down
1. Movement of nutrients, oxygen, and carbon dioxide between the heart and
the rest of the body by blood through blood vessels
2. Blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to different parts of the body
4. The muscular organ that pumps blood to all parts of the body

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Circulatory System
Fill in the blanks
1. The color of a red blood cell is due to _______
2. The two lower chambers of the heart are called _______.
3. The blood plasma contains a dissolved substance such as nutrient, ______,
_______ and _________.
4. The ________ artery takes the blood from the ventricles to the lungs.
5. The instrument used to find out the blood pressure is known as a __________.
6. The blood loaded with carbon dioxide from the body comes into the _______
of the heart.
7. The oxygen-rich blood from the lungs comes into the _______ of the heart.
8. The oxygen-rich blood is pumped into different parts of the body through the
_____.
9. The carbon-dioxide loaded blood from the right ventricle is pumped into the
lungs through the _______artery.
10. The liquid part of coagulated blood is known as ______.

True or False
1. Circulation is the transport of materials in living things.
2. Life stops when circulation stops.
3. Blood is pumped by the brain.
4. Blood circulates through the body only a few times a day.
5. Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
6. Arteries transport carbon dioxide to the cells.
7. Veins carry blood away from the heart.
8. Veins pick up waste materials from the cells.
9. Capillaries connect arteries and veins.
10. Capillaries are the largest blood vessels.

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Chapter 3
Circulatory System
Scrambled words
CEPSLARIIAL ENVI TERISERA
DO LOB ETHRA ATLORCNUICI
RSTNAPRTO

Crossword

Across
1. The upper chambers are called
4. The lower chambers are called
6. Fluid circulating the body
7. The rhythmic movement that the heart makes while pumping blood. 8.
Connection between veins and arteries
9. Organ that pumps blood

Down
2. Carries oxygenated blood
3. The system that transports everything around the body
4. Carries deoxygenated blood
5. The largest vein in our body

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Solutions
Solutions / Fill in the blanks
1. Hemoglobin.
2. Ventricles.
3. Proteins, waste products, and hormones.
4. Pulmonary
5. Sphygmomanometer.
6. Right auricle
7. Left ventricle
8. Aorta
9. Pulmonary
10. Serum

Solutions / True or False

1 2 3 4 5 6
T T F F T F
7 8 9 10
F T T F

Solutions / Scrambled words

CAPILLARIES
VEIN
ARTERIES
BLOOD
HEART
CIRCULATION
TRANSPORT

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Circulatory System
Solutions / Crossword

END

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