Healthcare medical terminology

Anatomy & Physiology part of the Cardiovascular System.

To accomplish its task of pumping substances to and from the cells of the body, the heart is in the center of two overlapping cycles of circulation: Pulmonary and Systemic.

Pulmonary Circulation:

Pulmonary circulation goes from the heart to the lungs and then back to the heart. Pulmonary circulation begins with the right side of the heart, sending blood to the lungs to absorb O² and release CO2. Once the oxygen is absorbed, the blood is considered oxygenated, the blood then progress back to the left side or the heart, where is pumped out to begin its route through the systemic circulatory system.

Systemic Circulation: Carries blood from the heart to the cells of the body, where nutrients and waste exchange takes place; the waste such as CO2, are carried back to the heart on the return trip. This blood is then pumped out of the right side of the heart to the lungs to dispose of its CO2, absorb O2, and repeat the cycle.