The circulatory system includes the heart, blood, and blood vessels. The components support transport through connected routes; a feeling of cold hands or heaviness does not by itself establish poor circulation.
Components and their roles
A components table answers what the circulatory system includes; the separate route page answers where blood travels. [HEART]
| Component | Role in this simplified lesson |
|---|---|
| Heart | Pumps blood through connected routes |
| Blood vessels | Carry blood along those routes |
| Blood | The material transported |
The table does not diagnose cold hands, swelling, or another symptom. A system description and a clinical assessment are different tasks.
A worked situation: Heart
Fictional example. A reader learns the difference between the pumping heart, transport vessels, and the blood they carry. A symptom question remains separate from that anatomy lesson.
Work through these questions: Heart
| Question or field | Fictional completed example |
|---|---|
| Component? | Heart |
| Component? | Blood vessels |
| Component? | Blood |
| Transport example? | Oxygen carried to tissues |
| Clinical limit? | Symptoms need context and assessment |