Fill in the following blanks to correctly describe the circu…
Fill in the following blanks to correctly describe the circulation of the heart. The heart pumps blood to two distinct but linked circulatory systems called the pulmonary and systemic circuits. Blood that is carrying carbon dioxide and waste products from the body tissues is returned to the via the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava. From the right atrium, the deoxygenated blood moves through the into the right ventricle. The pumps deoxygenated blood through the into the pulmonary trunk, which splits into the right and left pulmonary arteries, leading toward the lungs. These arteries branch many times before reaching the pulmonary capillaries, where gas exchange occurs: carbon dioxide exits the blood, and oxygen enters. Freshly oxygenated blood returns from the lungs to the via the . These veins are the only postnatal veins in the body that carry highly oxygenated blood and are often colored red on heart images. From the left atrium, the blood moves through the into the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps blood through the , into the aorta, delivering blood to all parts of the body.