KnowraPulmonary circulationPulmonary circulationPulmonary circulation carries blood from the heart to the lungs for gas exchange and returns it to the heart.BriefConnectRight ventricle: The heart chamber that pumps blood into the pulmonary trunk. It generates the pressure that sends deoxygenated blood toward the lungs.Heart: A muscular organ that pumps blood through the circulatory system. Its right and left sides drive the pulmonary and systemic circuits in sequence.Systemic circulation: The circulation that carries blood from the left heart to body tissues and returns it to the right heart. It follows pulmonary circulation and distributes oxygenated blood throughout the body.Ventilation–perfusion mismatch: A mismatch between airflow reaching alveoli and blood flow reaching pulmonary capillaries. It shows why adequate pulmonary blood flow alone cannot guarantee effective gas exchange.Pulmonary trunk: The large artery that carries blood from the right ventricle toward the lungs. It divides into the pulmonary arteries that begin the route through the lungs.Alveolus: A microscopic air sac in the lung where gas exchange occurs. Pulmonary capillaries surround alveoli, bringing blood close to inhaled air.Bronchial circulation: The systemic blood supply that nourishes the lung tissues and airways. It serves lung tissue itself, unlike pulmonary circulation’s route for gas exchange.Pulmonary edema: Excess fluid in lung tissue or alveolar spaces. Raised pressures in pulmonary vessels can contribute to fluid entering lung tissue.Pulmonary arteries: The arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs. They distribute blood from the pulmonary trunk to the lung capillaries.Gas exchange: The movement of gases between an organism and its environment or between body compartments. It explains how blood changes oxygen and carbon dioxide content in the lungs.Show all 21Linked from 19 pagesWilliam HarveyBroader topic: Harvey treated this circuit as evidence that blood moved through the heart and lungs rather than being consumed.LungRelated: It brings carbon-dioxide-rich blood to lung capillaries and returns oxygenated blood.Tricuspid atresiaNarrower topic: The defect disrupts the usual route by which blood reaches this circuit.Book lungCompared with: Unlike vertebrate lungs, book lungs exchange gases with hemolymph rather than blood in a pulmonary circuit.Circulatory systemBroader topic: It reloads blood with oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.Respiratory systemRelated: It carries carbon-dioxide-rich blood to the lungs and returns oxygenated blood to the heart.Venous returnCompared with: It is a separate circuit from systemic venous return, though both connect through the heart.Blood circulationBroader topic: This circuit sends blood to the lungs for gas exchange before returning it to the heart.Show all 19