The Heart

Guiding Questions

• What is the heart?
• What are the parts of the heart?
• What are the functions of the heart?

Overview

The heart plays a crucial role in the functioning of the entire body. It is a muscular organ located towards the left side of the chest. It pumps blood throughout the body and facilitates as a center to manage both deoxygenated and oxygenated blood. The heart continues to work even when we are resting or sleeping. It is a vital organ of the cardiovascular system.

Parts of the Heart

The heart is divided into four main chambers in order to separate oxygen-rich blood from deoxygenated blood. The four chambers are:

• Right atrium: the upper chamber that receives blood from the body
• Right ventricle: lower chamber that pumps  deoxygenated blood to the lungs
• Left atrium: receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs
• Left ventricle: pumps oxygen rich blood to the rest of the body

The heart also has valves that act like doors to make sure the blood flows in the right direction.

Functions of the Heart

The heart plays many roles to support the needs of the body:

• Pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout the body to ensure all organs and tissues receive blood for their functioning
• Sends deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygen
• Regulates blood pressure according to the body’s needs
• Removes waste products by directing blood to the organs that can filter them

Medical Tests

There are various medical examinations that involve the heart. A common heart test is the electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG). To understand this test we can look at the word parts: electro- means electric, cardi/o means heart, and -gram means record. Based on this we can come to the conclusion that the electrocardiogram is the record of the heart’s electrical activity. Doctors also use blood pressure and other imaging to assess the heart.

Review

• How many chambers does the heart have? Four
• What is the strongest chamber of the heart? The left ventricle
• What do the valves in the heart do? They control the direction of blood flow
• How many layers make up the heart? Three
• What is the thick muscular layer that allows the heart to pump? The myocardium

DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG POST DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

The blog post and everything contained on it is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.