(Left diagram)
The circulatory system is in charge of the distribution of many important components of our body, among them nutrients and oxygen.
The heart receives deoxygenated blood and pumps it to the lung where it gets oxygenated. The blood returns to the heart and it is pumped again, this time leaving the heart through the aorta and is divided into several branches to reach every part of the body. In this part of the circulation is worth mentioning the brain, liver and gut (intestine).
The brain needs a constant oxygenated blood supply to its correct function. Small periods of time without the proper supply can have serious consequences.
The intestine is key to our nutrition, as is where the nutrients of the food are assimilated and enter the bloodstream. The blood leaves the intestines through the hepatic portal vein and are conducted towards the liver. The liver is also key to our nutrition as it acts as a first process center and also eliminates toxins that are subproducts of digestion.
The blood leaving all organs deoxygenated is conducted to the heart through veins.