Final answer:
Blood circulation in the human body follows a dual-pathway system consisting of the pulmonary circuit and the systemic circuit, moving oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs for gas exchange, then supplying oxygenated blood to the body and returning it to the heart.
Step-by-step explanation:
The general path of blood circulation in the human body involves a dual system that includes the pulmonary circuit and the systemic circuit. In the pulmonary circuit, blood travels from the right atrium to the right ventricle and is then pumped to the lungs via the pulmonary arteries. Here, gas exchange occurs where carbon dioxide is released, and oxygen is absorbed.
The oxygen-rich blood then returns to the left atrium. In the systemic circuit, this oxygenated blood is pumped from the left ventricle into the aorta, spreading throughout the body and delivering oxygen and nutrients. After the exchange in systemic capillaries, deoxygenated blood-carrying waste products like carbon dioxide return to the right atrium through the systemic veins, such as the superior and inferior venae cavae, completing the circulation loop.