Pulmonary circuit

Definition

The pulmonary circuit is the pathway through which blood travels from the heart to the lungs and back to the heart. This circuit facilitates the exchange of carbon dioxide for oxygen in the blood.

Related terms

Pulmonary Arteries:

These are large blood vessels that transport deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs for oxygenation.

Pulmonary Veins:

Vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart, completing the pulmonary circuit.

Gas Exchange:

The process by which oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is released from it, primarily occurring in the lung's alveoli during breathing