The circulatory system is responsible for transporting more than just blood throughout our bodies. This complex network also transports nutrients, hormones and gases to our cells, and it helps fight diseases and helps maintain homeostasis.
Check out these six amazing facts about your circulatory system.
- The circulatory system in the human body stretches 66,000 miles, more than two-and-a-half times the circumference of the Earth.
- A typical vein can stretch to about eight times its lumen diameter
- A coronary artery can be 90% occluded by atherosclerosis (plaque) before a myocardial infarction (heart attack) occurs.
- As many as 200 extra miles of blood vessels can be found in each pound of fat
- At rest, the amount of time it takes for blood to pass through the entire circulatory system is about 60 seconds.
- Blood flow measurement is vital because it provides a window into the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to body organs and cells. To measure is to know!
Sources:
- Dr. Thomas Gole, D.O., Flow Measurement Training for The Surgical Resident
- The Incredible Machine 1992 National Geographic Society, Washington, DC