The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system, is a vast network of organs and blood vessels that acts both as a delivery and waste removal system for the body. Nutrients, oxygen, and hormones are delivered to every cell and as these necessities are provided, waste products such as carbon dioxide are removed.
Not only does the circulatory system keep our cells healthy, but it also keeps us alive!
Check out these six amazing facts about your circulatory system:
- The circulatory system in the human body stretches 66,000 miles, more than two-and-a-half times the circumference of the Earth.
- The heart beats 2.5 billion times during the life of a 75-year-old.
- Eating small amounts of dark chocolate can be beneficial to your overall cardiovascular health because it contains flavonoids that have antioxidants.
- As many as 200 extra miles of blood vessels can be found in each pound of fat.
- At rest, the amount of time it takes for blood to pass through the entire circulatory system is about 60 seconds.
- A single droplet of blood contains around 5 million red blood cells.
- Laughter really is the best medicine. It triggers endorphins to be released in the body, reduces stress, and increases blood circulation.
In this unit, students learned all about our circulatory system. Creativity was really on show with this project, they really enjoyed making a 3-D model using what they had at home.
Check them out!