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Organs There is one major organ in the circulatory system of the whale - the heart. There are a few other sub-systems, and body fluids in it as well that will be mentioned here. The heart is a four chambered double pump which is the center of the circulatory system and controls the blood flow through the body. With each contraction, blood is moved through the ventricles (chambers in the heart) and enters the body. The heart is vital to the life of any living organism and the whale is no different. The heart will beat throughout the lifespan of the whale, and if it stops for any prolonged period of time it is usually fatal. Blood contains many complex tissues and many different cell types. It is moved throughout the veings and arteries of the body by the heart. Also moved by the heart are the lymph nodes. They consist of blood plasma that has already been passed through the body's tissues. Capillaries pick up metabolic products, mostly in the lungs, and move them to larger blood vessels in the veins which return blood to the heart. Click on the heart at the top of the page for a complete diagram of the heart and all of its different parts. HomeNext
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