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The circulatory system is composed of the heart and blood vessels that transport blood throughout the body. The heart pumps blood through three major parts - the arteries, which carry oxygenated blood away from the heart; capillaries, which connect arteries and veins and allow for exchange of oxygen, nutrients and waste; and veins, which carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart. The circulatory system works with other systems to supply oxygen and nutrients to tissues and remove wastes. It is vital for survival.
The circulatory system is composed of the heart and blood vessels that transport blood throughout the body. The heart pumps blood through three major parts - the arteries, which carry oxygenated blood away from the heart; capillaries, which connect arteries and veins and allow for exchange of oxygen, nutrients and waste; and veins, which carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart. The circulatory system works with other systems to supply oxygen and nutrients to tissues and remove wastes. It is vital for survival.
The circulatory system is composed of the heart and blood vessels that transport blood throughout the body. The heart pumps blood through three major parts - the arteries, which carry oxygenated blood away from the heart; capillaries, which connect arteries and veins and allow for exchange of oxygen, nutrients and waste; and veins, which carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart. The circulatory system works with other systems to supply oxygen and nutrients to tissues and remove wastes. It is vital for survival.
The Circulatory System is responsible for transporting materials
throughout the entire body. It transports nutrients, water, and oxygen to your billions of body cells and carries away wastes such as carbon dioxide that body cells produce. It is an amazing highway that travels through your entire body connecting all your body cells.
Parts of the Circulatory System The circulatory System is divided into three major parts: 1. The eart 2. The !lood 3. The !lood "essels The Heart The Heart is an amazing organ. The heart beats about # !I$$I%& times during an average lifetime. It is a muscle about the size of your fist. The heart is located in the center of your chest slightly to the left. It's job is to pump your blood and (eep the blood moving throughout your body. It is your job to (eep your heart healthy and there are three main things you need to remember in order to (eep your heart healthy. 1. )xercise on a regular basis. *et outside and play. +eep that body moving ,wal(, jog, run, bi(e, s(ate, jump, swim-. 2. )at ealthy. .emember the /ood 0yramid and ma(e sure your eating your food from the bottom to top. #. 1on't Smo(e2 1on't Smo(e2 1on't Smo(e2 1on't Smo(e2 1on't Smo(e2 The Blood The blood is an amazing substance that is constantly flowing through our bodies. 3our blood is pumped by your heart. 3our blood travels through thousands of miles of blood vessels right within your own body. 3our blood carries nutrients, water, oxygen and waste products to and from your body cells. 4 young person has about a gallon of blood. 4n adult has about 5 6uarts. 3our blood is not just a red li6uid but rather is made up of li6uids, solids and small amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Red Blood Cells Red Blood Cells are responsible for carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide. .ed !lood 7ells pic( up oxygen in the lungs and transport it to all the body cells. 4fter delivering the oxygen to the cells it gathers up the carbon dioxide,a waste gas produced as our cells are wor(ing- and transports carbon dioxide bac( to the lungs where it is removed from the body when we exhale,breath out-. There are about 5,000,000 .ed !lood 7ells in %&) drop of blood. White Blood Cells (ermi!ators" White Blood Cells help the body fight off germs. 8hite !lood 7ells attac( and destroy germs when they enter the body. 8hen you have an infection your body will produce more 8hite !lood 7ells to help fight an infection. Sometimes our 8hite !lood 7ells need a little help and the 1octor will prescribe an antibiotic to help our 8hite !lood 7ells fight a large scale infection. Platelets Platelets are blood cells that help stop bleeding. 8hen we cut ourselves we have bro(en a blood vessel and the blood lea(s out. In order to plug up the holes where the blood is lea(ing from the platelets start to stic( to the opening of the damaged blood vessels. 4s the platelets stic( to the opening of the damaged vessel they attract more platelets, fibers and other blood cells to help form a plug to seal the bro(en blood vessel. 8hen the platelet plug is completely formed the wound stops bleeding. 8e call our platelet plugs scabs. Plasma Plasma is the li6uid part of the blood. 4pproximately half of your blood is made of plasma. The plasma carries the blood cells and other components throughout the body. 0lasma is made in the liver. Where are the blood cells made? The .ed !lood 7ells, 8hite !lood 7ells and 0latelets are made by the bone marrow. !one marrow is a soft tissue inside of our bones that produces blood cells. The Blood #essels In class we tal(ed about three types of blood $essels: 1. 4rteries 2. 7apillaries 3. "eins
%rteries %rteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen rich blood 4843 from the heart. .emember, 4 4 4rteries 4way, 4 4 4rteries 4way, 4 4 4rteries 4way. Ca&illaries Ca&illaries are tiny blood vessels as thin or thinner than the hairs on your head. 7apillaries connect arteries to veins. /ood substances,nutrients-, oxygen and wastes pass in and out of your blood through the capillary walls. #ei!s #ei!s carry blood bac( toward your heart.
hes.ucfsd.org9gclaypo9circulatorysys.html circulatory system is composed of the heart and blood vessels, including arteries, veins, and capillaries. %ur bodies actually have two circulatory systems: The &ulmo!ary ,pronounced: &ul:muh:ner:ee- circulatio! is a short loop from the heart to the lungs and bac( again, and the systemic ,pronounced: si:stem:i(- circulatio! ,the system we usually thin( of as our circulatory system- sends blood from the heart to all the other parts of our bodies and bac( again. The Heart The heart is the (ey organ in the circulatory system. 4s a hollow, muscular pump, its main function is to propel blood throughout the body. It usually beats from ;< to =<< times per minute, but can go much faster when it needs to. It beats about =<<,<<< times a day, more than #< million times per year, and about >.5 billion times in a ?<:year lifetime. The heart gets messages from the body that tell it when to pump more or less blood depending on a person's needs. 8hen we're sleeping, it pumps just enough to provide for the lower amounts of oxygen needed by our bodies at rest. 8hen we're exercising or frightened, the heart pumps faster to get more oxygen to our bodies. The heart has four chambers that are enclosed by thic(, muscular walls. It lies between the lungs and just to the left of the middle of the chest cavity. The bottom part of the heart is divided into two chambers called the ri'ht and left $e!tricles, which pump blood out of the heart. 4 wall called the i!ter$e!tricular se&tum divides the ventricles. The upper part of the heart is made up of the other two chambers of the heart, called the ri'ht and left atria ,pronounced: ay:tree:uh-. The right and left atria receive the blood entering the heart. 4 wall called the i!teratrial ,pronounced: in:tur:ay:tree:ul- se&tum divides the atria, and they're separated from the ventricles by the atrio$e!tricular ,pronounced: ay:tree:oh:ven:tri(:yoo:lur- $al$e. The tricus&id $al$e separates the right atrium from the right ventricle, and the mitral ,pronounced: my:trul- $al$e separates the left atrium and the left ventricle. Two other heart valves separate the ventricles and the large blood vessels that carry blood leaving the heart. These valves are called the &ulmo!ic $al$e, which separates the right ventricle from the &ulmo!ary artery leading to the lungs, and the aortic $al$e, which separates the left ventricle from the aorta, the body's largest blood vessel. The Role of Blood #essels !lood vessels carrying blood away from the heart are called arteries. They are the thic(est blood vessels, with muscular walls that contract to (eep the blood moving away from the heart and through the body. In the systemic circulation, oxygen:rich blood is pumped from the heart into the aorta. This huge artery curves up and bac( from the left ventricle, then heads down in front of the spinal column into the abdomen. Two coro!ary arteries branch off at the beginning of the aorta and divide into a networ( of smaller arteries that provide oxygen and nourishment to the muscles of the heart. @nli(e the aorta, the body's other main artery, the &ulmo!ary artery, carries oxygen:poor blood. /rom the right ventricle, the pulmonary artery divides into right and left branches, on the way to the lungs where blood pic(s up oxygen. 4rterial walls have three layers: The e!dothelium ,pronounced: en:doh:thee:lee:um- is on the inside and provides a smooth lining for blood to flow over as it moves through the artery. The media ,pronounced: me:dee:uh- is the middle part of the artery, made up of a layer of muscle and elastic tissue. The ad$e!titia ,pronounced: ad:ven:tih:shuh- is the tough covering that protects the outside of the artery. 4s they get farther from the heart, the arteries branch out into arterioles ,pronounced: ar:teer:ee:olz-, which are smaller and less flexible. !lood vessels that carry blood bac( to the heart are called $ei!s. They are not as muscular as arteries, but they contain valves that prevent blood from flowing bac(ward. "eins have the same three layers that arteries do, but they are thinner and less flexible. The two largest veins are the su&erior and i!ferior $e!a ca$ae ,pronounced: $ee:nuh (ay:vee-. The terms superior and inferior do not mean that one vein is better than the other, but that they are located above ,superior- and below ,inferior- the heart. 4 networ( of tiny ca&illaries ,pronounced: (ah:puh:lair:eez- connects the arteries and veins. )ven though they're tiny, the capillaries are one of the most important parts of the circulatory system because it is through them that nutrients and oxygen are delivered to the cells. In addition, waste products such as carbon dioxide are also removed by the capillaries What )o the Heart a!d Circulatory System )o? The circulatory system wor(s closely with other systems in our bodies. It supplies oxygen and nutrients to our bodies by wor(ing with the respiratory system. 4t the same time, the circulatory system helps carry waste and carbon dioxide out of the body. ormones A produced by the endocrine system A are also transported through the blood in our circulatory system. 4s the body's chemical messengers, hormones transfer information and instructions from one set of cells to another. 1id you ever wonder about the process behind your beating heartB 4 healthy heart ma(es a Club:dubC sound with each beat. ere's what happens to ma(e that sound: %ne complete heartbeat ma(es up a cardiac cycle, which consists of two phases. In the first phase, the ventricles contract ,this is called systole, pronounced: sis:tuh:lee-, sending blood into the pulmonary and systemic circulation. To prevent the flow of blood bac(wards into the atria during systole, the atrioventricular valves close, creating the first ,ClubC- sound. 8hen the ventricles finish contracting, the aortic and pulmonic valves close to prevent blood from flowing bac( into the ventricles. This is what creates the second sound ,the CdubC-. Then the ventricles relax ,this is called diastole, pronounced: dye:as:tuh:lee- and fill with blood from the atria, which ma(es up the second phase of the cardiac cycle. 4 uni6ue electrical system in the heart causes it to beat in its regular rhythm. The si!oatrial ,pronounced: sy:no:a:tree:ul- or S% !ode, a small area of tissue in the wall of the right atrium, sends out an electrical signal to start the contracting of the heart muscle. These electrical impulses cause the atria to contract firstD they then travel down to the atrio$e!tricular or %# !ode, which acts as a (ind of relay station. /rom here the electrical signal travels through the right and left ventricles, causing them to contract and force blood out into the major arteries In the systemic circulation, blood travels out of the left ventricle, to the aorta, to every organ and tissue in the body, and then bac( to the right atrium. The arteries, capillaries, and veins of the systemic circulatory system are the channels through which this long journey ta(es place. %nce in the arteries, blood flows to smaller arterioles and then to capillaries. 8hile in the capillaries, the bloodstream delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body's cells and pic(s up waste materials. !lood then goes bac( through the capillaries into venules, and then to larger veins until it reaches the vena cavae. !lood from the head and arms returns to the heart through the superior vena cava, and blood from the lower parts of the body returns through the inferior vena cava. !oth vena cavae deliver this oxygen:depleted blood into the right atrium. /rom here the blood exits to fill the right ventricle, ready to be pumped into the pulmonary circulation for more oxygen. In the pulmonary circulation, blood low in oxygen but high in carbon dioxide is pumped out the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery, which branches off in two directions. The right branch goes to the right lung, and vice versa. In the lungs, the branches divide further into capillaries. !lood flows more slowly through these tiny vessels, allowing time for gases to be exchanged between the capillary walls and the millions of al$eoli ,pronounced: al:$ee:oh:lie-, the tiny air sacs in the lung. 1uring the process called oxygenation, oxygen is ta(en up by the bloodstream. %xygen loc(s onto a molecule called hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The newly oxygenated blood leaves the lungs through the pulmonary veins and heads bac( to the heart. It enters the heart in the left atrium, then fills the left ventricle so it can be pumped into the systemic circulation. Thi!'s That Ca! o Wro!' With the Heart a!d Circulatory System 0roblems with the cardiovascular system are common A more than ;E million 4mericans have some type of cardiac problem. !ut cardiovascular problems don't just affect older people A many heart and circulatory system problems affect teens, too. eart and circulatory problems are grouped into two categories: congenital, which means the problems were present at birth, and ac6uired, which means that the problems developed some time when a person was a (id or teen. Co!'e!ital ,pronounced: (un:jeh:nuh:tul- heart defects* 7ongenital heart defects are heart problems that babies have at birth. 7ongenital heart defects occur while a baby is developing in the mother's uterus. 1octors don't always (now why congenital heart defects occur A some congenital heart defects are caused by genetic disorders, but most are not. 4 common sign of a congenital heart defect is a heart murmur. 4 heart murmur is an abnormal sound ,li(e a blowing or whooshing sound- that's heard when listening to the heart. $ots of (ids and teens have heart murmurs, which can be caused by congenital heart defects or other heart conditions. %rrhythmia* 7ardiac arrhythmias ,pronounced: a:rith:mee:uz-, which are also called dysrhythmias or rhythm disorders, are problems in the heart's rhythm. 4rrhythmias may be caused by a congenital heart defect or a person may develop this condition later. 4n arrhythmia may cause the heart's rhythm to be irregular, abnormally fast, or abnormally slow. 4rrhythmias can happen at any age and may be discovered when a teen has a chec(up. Cardiomyo&athy* 7ardiomyopathy ,pronounced: (ar:dee:oh:my:ah: puh:thee- is a long:lasting disease that causes the heart muscle ,the myocardium- to become wea(ened. @sually, the disease first affects the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles, and then progresses and damages the muscle cells and even the tissues surrounding the heart. Some (ids and teens with cardiomyopathy may receive heart transplants to treat their condition. Coro!ary artery disease* 7oronary artery disease is the most common heart disorder in adults, and it's caused by atherosclerosis ,pronounced: ah:thuh:ro:s(luh:ro:sis-. 1eposits of fat, calcium, and dead cells form on the inner walls and clog up the body's arteries ,the blood vessels that supply the heart- and get in the way of the smooth flow of blood. 4 clot of blood may even form, which can lead to a heart attac(. eart attac(s are very rare in children and teens. Hy&erli&idemia+hy&ercholesterolemia (hi'h cholesterol"* 7holesterol is a waxy substance that is found in the body's cells, in the blood, and in some of the foods we eat. aving too much cholesterol in the blood, also (nown as hypercholesterolemia ,pronounced: high:pur:(uh:les:tuh:ruh:lee:me:uh- or hyperlipidemia ,pronounced: high:pur:lih:puh:dee:me:uh-, is a major ris( factor for heart disease and can lead to a heart attac(. 4bout one out of =< teens between => and =F years old have high cholesterol levels that put them at increased ris( of cardiovascular disease. Hy&erte!sio! (hi'h blood &ressure"* ypertension ,pronounced: high:pur:te!:shun- is when a person has blood pressure that's significantly higher than normal. %ver time, it can cause damage to the heart and arteries and other body organs. Teens can have high blood pressure, which may be caused by genetic factors, excess body weight, diet, lac( of exercise, and diseases such as heart disease or (idney disease. Rheumatic heart disease* Teens who have had strep throat infection may develop rheumatic ,pronounced: roo:ma:ti(- fever. This type of infection can cause permanent heart problems, mostly in (ids and teens between 5 and =5 years of age. 0eople who've had strep throat and received antibiotics right away are unli(ely to develop this problem. So what can you do to halt heart and circulatory problems before they startB *etting plenty of exercise, eating a nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and seeing your doctor regularly for medical chec(ups are the best ways to help (eep the heart healthy and avoid long:term problems li(e high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. (idshealth.org9teen9yourGbody9bodyGbasics9heart.html The Circulatory System,Part - %!atomy a!d Physiolo'y The circulatory system is responsible for the transport of water and dissolved materials throughout the body, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste. The circulatory system transports oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive tract to every cell in the body, allowing for the continuation of cell metabolism. The circulatory system also transports the waste products of cell metabolism to the lungs and (idneys where they can be expelled from the body. 8ithout this important function toxic substances would 6uic(ly build up in the body. %!atomy of the Circulatory System The human circulatory system is organized into two major circulations. )ach has its own pump with both pumps being incorporated into a single organAthe heart. The two sides of the human heart are separated by partitions, the interatrial septum and the interventricular septum. !oth septa are complete so that the two sides are anatomically and functionally separate pumping units. The right side of the heart pumps blood through the pulmonary circulation ,the lungs- while the left side of the heart pumps blood through the systemic circulation ,the body-. www.naturalhealthschool.com9HG=.html circulatory system 4lso (nown as the cardiovascular system, the system that, in humans and other higher animals, delivers oxygen and nutrients throughout the body by a complex networ( of vessels I arteries, arterioles, capillaries, veins, and venules. 4rteries, arterioles, and the microscopic capillaries carry blood away from the heart to all parts of the body and allow exchange of nutrients and wastes through capillary walls from blood to the tissues and organs. "eins carry deoxygenated blood bac( to the lungs for reoxygenation. If all the vessels of this networ( in an adult human body were laid end:to:end, they would extend for about ;<,<<< miles ,more than F;,5<< (ilometers- I far enough to circle the )arth more than twice. 4s in the adult, survival of the developing embryo depends on the circulation of blood to maintain homeostasis and a favorable cellular environment. In response to this need, the circulatory system ma(es its appearance early in development and reaches a functional state long before any other major organ system. Incredible as it seems, the primitive heart begins to beat regularly early in the fourth wee( following fertilization. The vital role of the circulatory system in maintaining homeostasis depends on the continuous and controlled movement of blood through the thousands of miles of capillaries that permeate every tissue and reach every cell in the body. It is in the microscopic capillaries that blood performs its ultimate transport function. &utrients and other essential materials pass from capillary blood into fluids surrounding the cells as waste products are removed. &umerous control mechanisms help to regulate and integrate the diverse functions and component parts of the cardiovascular system in order to supply blood to specific body areas according to need. These mechanisms ensure a constant internal environment surrounding each body cell regardless of differing demands for nutrients or production of waste products. Circulatory &ath.ays The blood vessels of the body are functionally divided into two distinctive circuits: pulmonary circuit and systemic circuit. The pump for the pulmonary circuit, which circulates blood through the lungs, is the right ventricle. The left ventricle is the pump for the systemic circuit, which provides the blood supply for the tissue cells of the body. 0ulmonary circuit 0ulmonary circulation transports oxygen:poor blood from the right ventricle to the lungs where blood pic(s up a new blood supply. Then it returns the oxygen:rich blood to the left atrium. Systemic 7ircuit The systemic circulation provides the functional blood supply to all body tissue. It carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells and pic(s up carbon dioxide and waste products. Systemic circulation carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle, through the arteries, to the capillaries in the tissues of the body. /rom the tissue capillaries, the deoxygenated blood returns through a system of veins to the right atrium of the heart. The coronary arteries are the only vessels that branch from the ascending aorta. The brachiocephalic, left common carotid, and left subclavian arteries branch from the aortic arch. !lood supply for the brain is provided by the internal carotid and vertebral arteries. The subclavian arteries provide the blood supply for the upper extremity. The celiac, superior mesenteric, suprarenal, renal, gonadal, and inferior mesenteric arteries branch from the abdominal aorta to supply the abdominal viscera. $umbar arteries provide blood for the muscles and spinal cord. !ranches of the external iliac artery provide the blood supply for the lower extremity. The internal iliac artery supplies the pelvic viscera. Jajor systemic arteries 4ll systemic arteries are branches, either directly or indirectly, from the aorta. The aorta ascends from the left ventricle, curves posteriorly and to the left, then descends through the thorax and abdomen. This geography divides the aorta into three portions: ascending aorta, arotic arch, and descending aorta. The descending aorta is further subdivided into the thoracic arota and abdominal aorta. Jajor systemic veins 4fter blood delivers oxygen to the tissues and pic(s up carbon dioxide, it returns to the heart through a system of veins. The capillaries, where the gaseous exchange occurs, merge into venules and these converge to form larger and larger veins until the blood reaches either the superior vena cava or inferior vena cava, which drain into the right atrium. /etal circulation Jost circulatory pathways in a fetus are li(e those in the adult but there are some notable differences because the lungs, the gastrointestinal tract, and the (idneys are not functioning before birth. The fetus obtains its oxygen and nutrients from the mother and also depends on maternal circulation to carry away the carbon dioxide and waste products. The umbilical cord contains two umbilical arteries to carry fetal blood to the placenta and one umbilical vein to carry oxygen:and:nutrient:rich blood from the placenta to the fetus. The ductus venosus allows blood to bypass the immature liver in fetal circulation. The foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus are modifications that permit blood to bypass the lungs in fetal circulation. Physiolo'y of circulatio! .ole of the capillaries In addition to forming the connection between the arteries and veins, capillaries have a vital role in the exchange of gases, nutrients, and metabolic waste products between the blood and the tissue cells. Substances pass through the capillaries wall by diffusion, filtration, and osmosis. %xygen and carbon dioxide move across the capillary wall by diffusion. /luid movement across a capillary wall is determined by a combination of hydrostatic and osmotic pressure. The net result of the capillary microcirculation created by hydrostatic and osmotic pressure is that substances leave the blood at one end of the capillary and return at the other end. !lood flow . Ty&es of circulatory system umans and other vertebrates have a closed circulatory system in which the blood stays in the circulatory system as it circulates, and chemicals are exchanged by diffusion. !y contrast, arthropods, such as insects and spiders, have an open circulatory system, in which the blood is pumped forward by the heart, but then flows through the body cavity, directly bathing the internal organs. The human heart is a specialized, four:chambered muscle that maintains the blood flow in the circulatory system. It lies immediately behind the sternum, or breastbone, and between the lungs. The apex, or bottom of the heart, is tilted to the left side. 4t rest, the heart pumps about 5F cc ,> oz- of blood per beat and 5 l ,5 6t- per minute. 1uring exercise it pumps =><:>>< cc ,E:?.# oz- of blood per beat and ><:#< l ,>=:#> 6t- per minute. The adult human heart is about the size of a fist and weighs about >5<:#5< gm ,F oz-. The human heart begins beating early in fetal life and continues regular beating throughout the life span of the individual. If the heart stops beating for more than # or E minutes permanent brain damage may occur. !lood flow to the heart muscle itself also depends on the continued beating of the heart and if this flow is stopped for more than a few minutes, as in a heart attac(, the heart muscle may be damaged to such a great extent that it may be irreversibly stopped. The heart is made up of two muscle masses. %ne of these forms the two atria ,the upper chambers- of the heart, and the other forms the two ventricles ,the lower chambers-. !oth atria contract or relax at the same time, as do both ventricles. 4n electrical impulse called an action potential is generated at regular intervals in a specialized region of the right atrium called the sinoauricular ,or sinoatrial, or S4- node. Since the two atria form a single muscular unit, the action potential will spread over the atria. 4 fraction of a second later, having been triggered by the action potential, the atrial muscle contracts. The ventricles form a single muscle mass separate from the atria. 8hen the atrial action potential reaches the juncture of the atria and the ventricles, the atrioventricular or 4" node ,another specialized region for conduction- conducts the impulse. 4fter a slight delay, the impulse is passed by way of yet another bundle of muscle fibers ,the !undle of is and the 0ur(inje system.- 7ontraction of the ventricle 6uic(ly follows the onset of its action potential. /rom this pattern it can be seen that both atria will contract simultaneously and that both ventricles will contract simultaneously, with a brief delay between the contraction of the two parts of the heart. The electrical stimulus that leads to contraction of the heart muscle thus originates in the heart itself, in the sinoatrial node ,S4 node-, which is also (nown as the heart/s &acema(er. This node, which lies just in front of the opening of the superior vena cava, measures no more than a few millimeters. It consists of heart cells that emit regular impulses. !ecause of this spontaneous discharge of the sinoatrial node, the heart muscle is automated. 4 completely isolated heart can contract on its own as long as its metabolic processes remain intact. The rate at which the cells of the S4 node discharge is externally influenced through the autonomic nervous system, which sends nerve branches to the heart. Through their stimulatory and inhibitory influences they determine the resultant heart rate. In adults at rest this is between ;< and ?E beats a minute. In infants and young children it may be between =<< and =>< beats a minute. Tension, exertion, or fever may cause the rate of the heart to vary between 55 and ><< beats a minute. www.daviddarling.info9encyclopedia979circulatoryGsystem.html www.globalclassroom.org9hemo.html www.globalclassroom.org9hemo.html %0%1-2 3%CTS %ne drop of blood contains a half a drop of plasma, 5 0-44-52 .ed !lood 7ells, 60 Thousa!d 8hite !lood 7ells and 750 Thousa!d 0latelets. 3ou have thousands of miles of blood vessels in your body. C!ill &ye the Science *uyC claims that you could .ra& your blood $essels arou!d the e8uator TW-C9: