Circulation: Circulatory System

Don't forget that NUTRITION is a complex process that consists of four processes that take place at the same time and involve different sets of specialised organs or systems:

- Digestion

- Breathing

- Circulation

- Excretion

In this post, we are learning more about CIRCULATION

This process allows us to transport nutrients and oxygen to our body cells and waste substances and carbon dioxide from our cells that our bodies must eliminate.

In the circulatory system we find the HEART, which is the main organ of this system, and the BLOOD VESSELS, which are tubes that connect your heart to the rest of your body.










Your heart is a muscle that pumps BLOOD around your body carrying nutrients and oxygen and collecting waste substances and carbon dioxide that our cells must eliminate. It has four chambers: the upper chambers are  the atria and the lower chambers are the ventricles.
Here you have a diagram that also shows the main arteries and veins attached to your heart:

Look at this video to learn more about your heart 

and how it works:

There are three types of BLOOD VESSELS:
- Arteries: wide tubes that carry blood from the heart.
- Veins: narrow tubes that carry blood to the heart
- Capillaries: very narrow tubes that connect arteries to veins and reach every part in our body.




Here you have two diagrams with the main blood vessels in your body (You don't have to learn all these names! It's for your information only):

The BLOOD is made up of a liquid called plasma and three types of cells with different functions:

1. Red blood cells: absorb oxygen in the lungs and transport it to all the cells in our body.
2. White blood cells: fight germs and infections.
3. Platelets: stop bleeding and form scabs.
















HOW DOES BLOOD CIRCULATE?
In fact, the circulation of blood takes place in two steps:
1. Pulmonary circulation is the movement of blood from the heart to the lungs. In the lungs the blood releases carbon dioxide and picks up oxygen in the alveoli; then the blood flows back to the heart. This oxygenated blood has a bright red colour.

2. Systemic or general circulation is the movement of  oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The oxygen goes into the cells of our body and the blood picks up carbon dioxide. Then the blood flows back to the heart. This deoxygenated blood has a dark red colour.

Here you have two videos to learn more about the circulatory system:

Digestion: the digestive system

Digestion is the process that allows us to get the nutrients and water we need from food and drink. It is one of the four processes included in NUTRITION.

Digestion is carried out by the organs included in the digestive system:

Watch these videos about how the 
digestive system works:

Have a look at this website to learn more about the organs in the digestive system and their functions:

ACTIVITY: Complete the Digestive System Poster

1) Use these words for the flaps to label the organs:

In the large intestine

In the rest of the small intestine

In the mouth

In the stomach

In the esophagus

In the liver

In the rectum

In the first part of the small intestine

In the throat

2) Order the sentences about the stages of digestion: complete the missing information and write the sentences under the correct flaps.

1. Food travels down the  esophagus to the _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

2. We swallow and _ _ _ _ is moved to the esophagus 

from here.

3. It produces a liquid called _ _ _ _, which helps 

_ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ food in the first part of the 

_ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and which is stored in the  

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

4. Digestion starts here: the _ _ _ _ _ crush food and it mixes with _ _ _ _ _ _.

5. Food mixes with _ _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ and becomes a paste.

6. Water from the digested food is absorbed here and

 _ _ _ _ _ _ are formed.

7. Unusable parts of the food or _ _ _ _ _ _ are stored here until they leave the body through the _ _ _ _.

8. Digestion is complete,  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are absorbed and they pass into the _ _ _ _ _.

9. Here food is mixed with bile from the _ _ _ _ _ and other substances from the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that help finish the digestion of food.

3) Draw the path of the food through your digestive system. Use red arrows.

Nutrition: a complex process

Nutrition is the process by which we obtain nutrients, water and oxygen; expel carbon dioxide and waste substances through urine and sweat, and we transport all these substances to and from the cells in our body.

As we can see, nutrition is a complex process which consists of 4 basic life processes, which are carried out by 4 different systems or sets of organs:

 1. Digestion: this process allows us to get the nutrients and water we need from food and drink. 

 2. Breathing (Respiration): This process allows us to take oxygen from the air and expel carbon dioxide.

 3. Circulation: this process allows us to transport nutrients and oxygen to our body cells and waste substances and carbon dioxide that our cells must eliminate.

 4. Excretion: this process allows us to expel waste substances through urine and sweat.

JUST FOR FUN!
Do you know how many different systems carry out their functions in our body? Can you guess?
Have a look at this amazing video and find out!