What is the primary function of the pulmonary circulation?

1 Answer
Arqam M. ยท Harsh
Nov 22, 2015

It's main purpose is to give the blood oxygen so that blood can deliver it to different parts of the body.

Explanation:

When the blood comes into the heart from the vena cava , it is depleted of oxygen (and also has a lot of CO_2 that it needs to get rid of).

The blood is whizzed away from the heart to the lungs along the pulmonary artery .

In the lungs, the CO_2 is taken out of the blood and it is replenished with oxygen.

This happens in the alveoli of the lungs.

Like this.

![http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/bam/live/content/ztv7fg8/large](https://d2jmvrsizmvf4x.cloudfront.net/CjfsHp9KRVyt8yvb9Eyg_large)

Here's an awesome animation if you want to know HOW that happens:
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072507470/student_view0/chapter23/animation__movement_of_oxygen_and_carbon_dioxide.html

The blood (now happy with getting some oxygen and losing it's CO_2) is whisked to the heart along the pulmonary vein.

You can check out the locations of the pulmonary artery and vein here:

![http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/bam/live/content/z4bqhyc/large](https://d2jmvrsizmvf4x.cloudfront.net/fpYvSdEwQkmzpPjcd4wC_large)

This is where pulmonary circulation ends.

![http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/bam/live/content/zyhcjxs/large](https://d2jmvrsizmvf4x.cloudfront.net/0W26pn92S4KlKCYspDEM_large)

The word pulmonary means = related to the lungs.

From there, the heart contracts and gives the blood a powerful push which then sends it to different parts of the body to deliver oxygen. This is the start of systemic circulation.

![http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/bam/live/content/zftrwmn/large](https://d2jmvrsizmvf4x.cloudfront.net/ilfgap3DQieZFT2GvUal_large)

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