systemic circulation

systemic circulation   n.  The general circulation of the blood through the body, as opposed to the circulation of the blood from the heart to the lungs and back to the heart.

Main Entry: systemic circulation
Function: noun
: the passage of arterial blood from the left atrium of the heart through the left ventricle, the systemic arteries, andthe capillaries to the organs and tissues that receive much of its oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide and the return of the carbon-dioxide carrying blood via the systemic veins to enter the rightatrium of the heart and to participate in the pulmonary circulation

systemic circulation n.
Circulation of blood throughout the body through the arteries, capillaries, and veins, which carry oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to various tissues and return venous blood to the right atrium.

systemic circulation

in physiology, the circuit of vessels supplying oxygenated blood to and returning deoxygenated blood from the tissues of the body, as distinguished from the pulmonary circulation. Blood is pumped from the left ventricle of the heart through the aorta and arterial branches to the arterioles and through capillaries, where it reaches an equilibrium with the tissue fluid, and then drains through the venules into the veins and returns, via the venae cavae, to the right atrium of the heart. Pressure in the arterial system, resulting from heart action and distension by the blood, maintains systemic blood flow. The systemic pathway, however, consists of many circuits in parallel, each of which has its own arteriolar resistance that determines blood flow independently of the overall flow and pressure and without necessarily disrupting these. For example, the blood flow through the digestive tract increases after meals, and that through working muscles increases during exercise. See also pulmonary circulation.

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