How does the skeletal system work with the circulatory system

The human body contains trillions of cells, 78 different organs and more than 60,000 miles of blood vessels if you stretched them end-to-end. Incredibly, all of these cells, vessels and organs work together to keep you alive.

Each organ belongs to one of ten human body systems. These body systems are interconnected and dependent upon one another to function. Your heart does not beat unless your brain and nervous system tell it to do so. Your skeletal system relies on the nutrients it gains from your digestive system to build strong, healthy bones.

There are 10 body systems:

1. Circulatory
2. Respiratory
3. Nervous
4. Muscular
5. Skeletal
6. Digestive
7. Endocrine (hormones)
8. Lymphatic, or immune system
9. Reproductive
10. Integumentary (skin, hair)

A body system is a group of parts that work together to serve a common purpose. Your cardiovascular system works to circulate your blood while your respiratory system introduces oxygen into your body.

Each Body System Works with the Others

Each individual body system works in conjunction with other body systems. The circulatory system is a good example of how body systems interact with each other. Your heart pumps blood through a complex network of blood vessels. When your blood circulates through your digestive system, for example, it picks up nutrients your body absorbed from your last meal. Your blood also carries oxygen inhaled by the lungs. Your circulatory system delivers oxygen and nutrients to the other cells of your body then picks up any waste products created by these cells, including carbon dioxide, and delivers these waste products to the kidneys and lungs for disposal. Meanwhile, the circulatory system carries hormones from the endocrine system, and the immune system’s white blood cells that fight off infection.

Each of your body systems relies on the others to work well. Your respiratory system relies on your circulatory system to deliver the oxygen it gathers, while the muscles of your heart cannot function without the oxygen they receive from your lungs. The bones of your skull and spine protect your brain and spinal cord, but your brain regulates the position of your bones by controlling your muscles. The circulatory system provides your brain with a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood while your brain regulates your heart rate and blood pressure.

Even seemingly unrelated body systems are connected. Your skeletal system relies on your urinary system to remove waste produced by bone cells; in return, the bones of your skeleton create structure that protects your bladder and other urinary system organs. Your circulatory system delivers oxygen-rich blood to your bones. Meanwhile, your bones are busy making new blood cells.

Working together, these systems maintain internal stability and balance, otherwise known as homeostasis. Disease in one body system can disrupt homeostasis and cause trouble in other body systems. If you become ill with the AIDS virus that affects your immune system, for example, you may develop pneumonia in your respiratory system, a yeast infection in your reproductive system, Candida that affects your esophagus in your digestive system or the skin cancer known as Kaposi’s sarcoma.

For more information on the connection between body systems, talk to your health professional at Revere Health. We offer family practice and 39 medical specialties to help all ten of your body systems work together. 

Sources:
Organs of the Body
Cleveland Clinic
AIDS.org

Muscular System

To help the body move freely, the skeletal system works very closely with the muscular system, which contains all the muscles in the body. Each individual muscle in the body is connected to one or more parts of the skeletal system. For example, the biceps brachii muscle is connected to the forearm, and the forearm bone is called the radius. All muscles connected to the skeletal system have the same basic function. They contract and relax to allow the skeletal system to move. Without the skeletal system, the human body would not be able to support itself, but without muscles, the skeletal system wouldn’t be able to move. The general makeup of the skeletal system is cartilage and calcified bone, and these elements allow the bones and muscles to move freely and fluidly together.

Ciruculatory System

Along with giving muscles the support they need to allow the body to move freely, the skeletal system is also necessary for proper function of the circulatory system. The calcified bones of the skeleton work very closely with the circulatory system. A substance known as marrow is created inside bones and aids the production of red and white blood cells. The circulatory system is the system that circulates the red and white blood cells through the body. Red and white blood cells are necessary for the body to function properly, and these cells couldn’t be circulated through the body unless the bones of the skeletal system first created marrow.

Protection

The skeletal system works closely with virtually all the systems in the body to protect them. Because the bones that make up the skeletal system are hard and firm, they are the perfect protectors for the vulnerable organs that make up the body’s systems. The bones' primary function in this sense is to protect organs from impact. For example, the rib cage helps protect the fragile lungs from impact. Multiple organs in the digestive system, reproductive system, urinary system and endocrine system are all protected by different bones. However, the main system that bones help to protect is the nervous system. The nervous system contains the all important brain, which is necessary for all bodily functions. The hard bones of the skull form around the brain and protect the fragile tissue from impact. Without the protection of the skull, any small impact could potentially result in serious injury or even death.

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Writer Bio

J. Johnson has been completing freelance writing work since September 2009. Her work includes writing website content and small client projects. Johnson holds a degree in English from North Carolina State University.