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Simply Science: Animal Systems for Transport

Related Article: Learn more about the circulatory system.

Circulatory systems in animals carry oxygen and fuel to the cells. A closed circulatory system uses capillaries to transfer oxygen and fuel. Most vertebrates have a closed circulatory system, where most invertebrates have an open system.

browse videos in circulatory system

Your Heart and Arteries (0:59)

Watch this video about your heart and arteries on HowStuffWorks. Scientists are searching for a gene that causes aneurysms, and what effect it may have on other areas of the heart. Learn about your heart in this video from ScienCentral.

Australian Girl Has Super Blood (1:41)

Transplant patients usually take anti-rejection drugs to stop their bodies from killing the new organ. Watch this Reuters video to see how Demi-Lee Brennan's "super blood" actually changed type, from O- to O+, to match her newly transplanted liver.

Blood Clots (15:48)

Watch this video about blood clots on HowStuffWorks. New research in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) treatment shows that combining a clot-dissolving drug with a clot removal device helps to remove blood clots in the body faster and reduces patient risk... More »

Dangerous Blood (1:47)

Watch this ScienCentral video about the dangers of blood transfusions. Blood transfusions can be a gift of life, but recent studies have revealed that transfusions may be a cause of heart attacks and deaths. Now researchers say they've figured out... More »

Digestive System: Circulatory Systems Role (0:37)

Structures in the small intestine absorb nutrients.

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Exploring Time: Heart Beat (1:57)

The heart must always keep a steady beat. Learn about the heart and how it functions on The Science Channel's "Exploring Time."

Exploring Time: Virtual Heart (2:40)

See this mathematical model of the heart which responds to whatever is thrown its way. Learn more on this virtual heart on The Science Channel's "Exploring Time."

100 Greatest Discoveries: Blood Transfusion (2:03)

Austrian physician Karl Landsteiner discovered that not all human blood is the same, and that there are four different blood types. Learn more about the beginnings of blood transfusion on the Science Channel's "100 Greatest Discoveries."

100 Greatest Discoveries: Blood Flow Theory (2:43)

English physician William Harvey's studies on blood flow were breakthroughs in understanding the human heart and the circulatory system. Learn more about blood flow on the Science Channel's "100 Greatest Discoveries."

Systems of the Human Body: Blood and Oxygen (2:04)

The circulatory system carries oxygenated blood from the heart (in arteries) to the cells, and oxygen-poor blood is returned to the heart in veins. The oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange occurs in the capillaries.

Systems of the Human Body: Skeletal and Blood Systems (2:31)

The function of the skeletal system is to provide support, protect the organs, store minerals and produce blood cells. Blood is composed of red and white blood cells, platelets and plasma. Hemoglobin in the blood transports oxygen to cells in the... More »

Human Body: The Circulatory System (2:26)

The circulatory system delivers oxygen to the body and removes carbon dioxide. The heart pumps deoxygenated blood through the left ventricle and pulmonary artery to the alveoli's capillaries in the lungs for gas exchange.

Human Body: Blood (1:39)

Bone marrow forms red blood cells for gas exchange, white blood cells for defense, and platelets, the fragments involved in clotting, all suspended in plasma.

Circulation of the Blood: Key to Life and Defense (1:06)

Check out this clip to learn more about the ways in which the circulatory system maintains life.

Circulation of the Blood: The Heart Muscle (1:47)

The heart is a muscle that pauses between contractions. Check out this clip to learn more about the heart's function in the circulatory system.