How big is the circulatory system?
Your body has more than 60,000 miles of blood vessels that circulate about 1.5 gallons of blood every day.
What is red blood and blue blood?
All blood is red. Hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein in red blood cells, mixes with oxygen to give blood its red color. Blood that’s rich in oxygen is known as red blood.
Your veins carry oxygen-poor blood. This is sometimes called blue blood because your veins can look blue underneath the skin. The blood is actually red, but the low oxygen levels give veins a bluish hue.
Do arteries always carry oxygenated blood?
For the most part, yes. The exceptions are pulmonary arteries and veins. Pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs. Pulmonary veins return the oxygenated blood to the heart.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Your circulatory system plays a critical role in keeping you alive. Blood vessels carry blood to the lungs for oxygen. Then your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through arteries to the rest of the body. Your veins help your body get rid of waste products. Conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis can affect the health of your circulatory system. If you have one of these conditions, talk to your healthcare provider about steps you can take to protect your cardiovascular health.
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