Question

What is the significance of double circulation?

Answer 1

It includes systemic circulation and pulmonary circulation. The circulatory pathway of double circulation is given in the following flow chart.

Double blood circulation

Double circulation or separation of systemic and pulmonary circulations, provides a higher metabolic rate to the body and also allows the two circulations to have different blood pressures according to the need of the organs they supply

Answer 2

1. Deoxygenated blood from different parts of the body is collected into the right atrium by the great veins. When the right atrium contracts, it passes into the right ventricle. When the right ventricle contracts, this deoxygenated blood passes through the pulmonary artery into the pleura (lungs), where gases are exchanged.
2. This blood gets oxygenated and returns to the left atrium of the heart through the pulmonary veins. When the left atrium contracts, this oxygenated blood comes into the left ventricle.
3. When the left ventricle contracts, this blood is distributed through the aorta to different parts of the body.

Therefore, the same blood passes through the heart twice in the cardiac cycle, once as oxygenated and a second time as deoxygenated blood. This is called double circulation.

Our heart is made up of four chambers, due to which oxygenated blood is distributed to all parts of our body. Due to this, oxygen distribution in cells and tissues remains as per requirement.