TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY oF THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM A1 - Fernandez-Jimenez, Rodrigo A1 - Hoit, Brian D. A1 - Walsh, Richard A. A1 - Fuster, Valentin A1 - Ibanez, Borja A2 - Fuster, Valentin A2 - Harrington, Robert A. A2 - Narula, Jagat A2 - Eapen, Zubin J. Y1 - 2017 N1 - T2 - Hurst's The Heart, 14e AB - The principal function of the cardiovascular system is to deliver oxygen and nutrients to metabolizing tissues and remove carbon dioxide and wastes from these tissues. This is accomplished by means of two specialized circulations in series: a low-resistance pulmonary and a high-resistance systemic circulation driven by specialized muscle pumps, the right and left heart (each in turn composed of a thin-walled atrium and thicker-walled ventricle), respectively. Although cardiovascular physiology can be understood at a number of hierarchical levels, the complex interplay among the intrinsic properties of the cardiomyocytes and isolated muscle, chamber mechanics, and their modulation by variable cardiac-loading conditions and neurohormonal and renal compensatory mechanisms determines the integrated performance of the cardiovascular system. Accordingly, cardiovascular physiology will be examined at cellular, isolated muscle, and organ (isolated heart and integrated systems) levels. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1161723424 ER -