RT Book, Section A1 Ash, Rick A1 Morton, David A. A1 Scott, Sheryl A. SR Print(0) ID 1141045135 T1 CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM T2 The Big Picture: Histology YR 2017 FD 2017 PB McGraw-Hill Medical PP New York, NY SN 9780071477581 LK accessbiomedicalscience.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1141045135 RD 2024/03/29 AB The cardiovascular system is the body's principal chemical and cellular transportation network. It supplies nutrients and O2 to tissues to support their metabolism by continuously circulating blood through the intestines and lungs. It plays a fundamental role in homeostasis by maintaining the composition of water and electrolytes in extracellular fluid and removing metabolic wastes by circulating blood through the kidneys. It is the delivery route for immune system cells that defend the body against pathogens that manage to breech barrier epithelia. The cardiovascular system also distributes the vast array of signaling molecules, such as hormones and cytokines, which orchestrate much of our physiology and influence our behavior.