The respiratory system takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide through diffusion in the lungs. The cardiovascular system, consisting of the heart and blood vessels, transports oxygenated blood from the lungs to the body's tissues via pulmonary and systemic circulation. Pulmonary circulation carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs, where gas exchange occurs, and returns oxygenated blood to the heart. Systemic circulation then delivers oxygenated blood from the heart throughout the body before returning deoxygenated blood back to the heart and starting the cycle again.