Circulatory 101
This is the main job of the circulatory system.
Moving blood around the body
The household machine the heart is most like
A pump
Blood cells that carry oxygen
Red blood cells
Vessels that carry blood away from the heart
Arteries
System that supplies oxygen for the circulatory system to deliver
Respiratory system
The two main parts of the circulatory system
Heart and blood vessels
Number of chambers in the heart
Four
Cells that fight infection
White blood cells
Vessels that carry blood back to the heart
Veines
System that supplies nutrients for the circulatory system to deliver
Digestive system
The liquid that flows inside blood vessels
Blood
The upper chambers of the heart
Atria (singular: atrium)
Tiny cell fragments that form clots
Platelets
The smallest blood vessels
Capillaries
Three systems that work together to provide energy
Circulatory, respiratory, digestive
The circulatory system is often compared to this kind of transportation network
Roads or delivery routes
Complete the flow: right atrium → ______ → _______ → left ventricle
Right ventricle, left atrium
Two jobs of plasma (name any two)
Examples: carries nutrients, carries hormones, maintains blood volume, supports immunity, helps control bleeding
Key exchange that happens inside capillaries
Exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and wastes between blood and tissues
Tiny lung structures where oxygen moves into the blood
Alveoli
Give one strong metaphor for the circulatory system’s role in the body
Amazon truck drivers delivering packages (any delivery‑style metaphor earns points)
Flaps of tissue that prevent backward blood flow
Valves
All four main components of blood
Red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, plasma
Path of a drop of blood from an artery back to the heart (vessel types in order)
Artery → capillary → vein → heart
Describe, in order, how food becomes energy for a running muscle
Digestive breaks food into glucose → circulatory carries glucose → respiratory brings in oxygen → cells use both for energy (cellular respiration)