The venous system within the cardiovascular system

The venous system is an integral part of the cardiovascular system designed to circulate blood to enable gas and metabolic exchanges within the billions of cells making up the body.
The cardiovascular system is a closed circulatory system in which blood circulates in one direction only. It is organised around a central organ – the heart pump – and is made up of three different types of blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries).

The arteries and veins are linked by microscopic capillaries, where oxygen, carbon dioxide and metabolite exchanges occur.

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Blood travels on two different routes through the circulatory system :
  • the general circulation, originating from the left heart, which carries oxygenated blood, nutrients, hormone and immune system messengers, etc. towards the organs and extremities, and then carries oxygen-depleted blood and waste back to the heart through the veins.
  • the pulmonary circulation, originating from the right heart, which takes oxygen-depleted blood towards the pulmonary capillaries, where gas exchanges with the air contained inside the pulmonary alveoli occur, before the now oxygenated blood returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins.
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