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3.3: How the CR System Works

  • Page ID
    11141
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    The cardiorespiratory system operates to obtain and circulate vital compounds throughout the body—specifically, oxygen and nutrients, such as food energy, vitamins, and minerals. Both oxygen and nutrients, which are imperative for cellular energy production, must be taken in from the lungs and digestive system. Because the heart and lungs are so interlocked in this process, the two systems are often labeled together as the cardiorespiratory system. Without a healthy respiratory system, the body would struggle to bring in enough oxygen, release carbon dioxide (the chemical waste product of cellular metabolism) and eliminate unwanted particles that enter the respiratory tract when inhaling. Without a healthy heart, transporting oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive system to the body’s cells would be impossible. If the health of the CR system were compromised enough, survival would be impossible. Additionally, both must be healthy or the function of one or the other will be compromised.

    Below are several videos explaining how the cardiovascular and respiratory systems operate and function together:

     

    The CR System and Exercise

     

    How the Cardiovascular System Works

     

    Respiratory System Explained in Detail

     


    This page titled 3.3: How the CR System Works is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Flynn et al. (GALILEO Open Learning Materials) .

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