What does the heart do? (7 facts)
In this article, we will describe what does the heart do (7 facts). We hope it is useful.
1. The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body
It is located in the chest cavity, to the left of the sternum.
The heart is susceptible to various diseases and conditions, including ischaemic disease (IHD; angina and heart attacks), congenital and valvular heart disease, chronic heart failure (CHF), and arrhythmias (especially atrial fibrillation, AF).
2. The heart is about the size of a closed fist
In an adult and weighs around 250 to 300 grams; compare that to the heart of a blue whale, which is 200 kg.
3. The heart has four chambers
These are the right atrium, the left atrium, the right ventricle, and the left ventricle. The atria receive blood while the ventricles pump blood out.
There are four valves in the heart that keep the blood flowing in the correct way – they are vulnerable to an infection called endocarditis.
Heart anatomy
4. Normal human heart rate is about 60-100 beats a minute
Hence the heart beats around 100,000 times a day; continuously pumping around 5 litres (8 pints) of blood through the body.
A heart rate of 60 beats/min or under is called a bradycardia; over 100 beats/min is a tachycardia.
A heart rate of 40 BPM at rest may be normal in an athlete. 150 BPM is normal if you are exercising hard.
5. The heart is surrounded by a sac called the pericardium
This contains a small amount of fluid to help cushion and protect the heart. This can be affected by an acute or chronic inflammation called pericarditis.
6. The heart’s main blood supply comes from the coronary arteries
These branch off the aorta and wrap around the heart.
7. The heart’s electrical system controls the rhythm of the heartbeat
The sinoatrial node (SAN; sino for ‘sinus’), also known as the ‘pacemaker’, is a group of specialist cells that sends electrical impulses to the heart muscle. These impulses pass to the atrioventricular node (AVN), and the whole system causes contraction of the heart.
Electrical pathways of the heart
Summary
We have described what does the heart do? (7 facts). We hope you understand it better now.
