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Describe the Importance of the Interaction Between the Respiratory and Cardiovascular System in Maintaining the Body's Internal Balance

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Portfolio Task: Module 2
Briefly describe the importance of the interaction between the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in maintaining the body’s internal balance

The respiratory and cardiovascular systems work together to supply oxygen to the body’s cells, remove carbon dioxide and regulate the Ph of the body’s fluids. This system of regulation is called homeostasis. (www.wiki.answers.com, 2013)

To understand how both systems interact requires fundamental knowledge of how each system functions independently.

The cardiovascular system is made up of blood, the heart and blood vessels which are divided into arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules and veins. (www.livestrong.com, 2013)

Blood is a thick, red, slightly …show more content…

These can be divided structurally into 2 parts, the upper respiration system which consists of nose and pharynx and the lower respiratory system which consists of larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs.
Oxygen is drawn into the lungs by a process called inhalation, (breathing in), which occurs when the diaphragm and intercostal muscles are contracted which causes the lungs to expand, giving a larger volume and therefore causing a lower pressure differential between the lungs, alveolar pressure, and the outside atmosphere. This inverse relationship between volume and pressure is called Boyle’s law. (Tortora & Derrickson, 2011)

Exhalation, (breathing out), is the opposite of inhalation and occurs when the inspiratory muscles relax causing the diaphragm to depress which decreases the lung volume. This decrease in volume causes the alveolar pressure to increase therefore the carbon dioxide in the lungs flows from a high pressure to a lower pressure in the atmosphere. (Tortora & Derrickson, 2011)

In conclusion, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are directly related in a complex manner, relying on one another to perform their physiological functions. Only together can both systems work to maintain the body’s internal balance, this is evident when physical demand is higher than normal. In order to meet this demand, the heart must pump more nutrient-rich blood around the body; however it needs oxygen to do this, in response the

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