ABSTRACT
The cardiovascular system (CVS) consists basically of three major types of organs: blood, heart, and vessels. The system provides a mechanism for the continuous and rapid transport of cells, nutrients, and waste products to and from all tissues in the body. The most important and vital of these is oxygen, supplied via lungs to all tissues and organs, and without which death can occur within minutes. Every tissue has its own blood supply and drainage, delivered from very large vessels to progressively smaller, and eventually microscopic vessels that reside deep within tissues. This forms the basis of the term vascularized, which describes the network of vessels throughout a living tissue that is filled with blood and under constant oxygenation, giving it its characteristic pink color as seen in surgical procedures.
