Vascular system carries blood and lymphatic fluid through the body

The human body contains a system of vessels that carries oxygenated blood and lymph to tissues and then whisks away the waste matter. These vessels –- arteries, veins and lymph vessels –- are known together as the vascular system, or, as the circulatory system.

Arteries, veins and capillaries make up the blood vessel system. Arteries transport oxygen-rich blood from the heart to other parts of the body, while veins send the blood back to the heart. Capillaries are the tributaries that link arteries and veins. These smaller vessels deliver blood and other nutrients to our tissue cells and then carry back the waste matter to the veins.

The vascular system also includes the lymph vessels, which circulate lymphatic fluid around the body. The job of the lymphatic system is to filter and sustain the body’s fluid needs; lymphatic fluid is made up of water and blood cells.

The vascular system is an integral element of other body systems, as well.

For example, as part of the digestive process, the nutrients in our food are picked up by the blood flowing through capillaries in the intestines. These nutrients, which include vitamins, minerals and glucose, are then delivered to other parts of the body.

The vascular system also is essential to the respiratory system, as a means of picking up oxygen from the lungs and leaving off carbon dioxide. The oxygen moves to other body tissues, while the carbon dioxide is exhaled.

The kidneys and urinary system work as a filter for the vascular system: waste matter filters from the blood to the kidneys and then into urine. Another system that depends on the vascular system is our body temperature. Our temperature is affected by how well blood flows throughout our body; heat is generated as blood interacts with tissues.