Heart and Lungs: Understanding Their Vital Connection

The heart and lungs work in a continuous loop to sustain life:

1. Heart pumps deoxygenated blood from body → right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary arteries → lungs.
2. In lungs: Blood travels through capillaries surrounding alveoli. O₂ diffuses into blood (binding hemoglobin); CO₂ diffuses out to be exhaled.
3. Oxygenated blood returns via pulmonary veins → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta → body.

This cycle delivers oxygen to cells and removes carbon dioxide. The heart provides the pumping force; the lungs perform gas exchange. Their collaboration maintains cellular vitality.