Properties of the Cardiovascular System

In this chapter we explain basic terms from physiology. Moreover, the basic structure of the human vascular system and the mechanical properties of the human cardiovascular system are discussed. This knowledge forms the basis for the following chapters, which deal with the mathematical modeling of realistic blood flows and their simulation. At the end of this chapter, there is a brief overview on the most important cardiovascular diseases, whose diagnosis and curing can be improved by computer-assisted treatment methods.