Heart Anatomy

The heart works with the blood vessels and the respiratory system to transfer blood and oxygen throughout the body. The human heart works from the moment you are born until you take your last breath. It is a hard working tool that continues to work hard under pressure. What is it that allows our heart to take on so much?

There is still a lot of mystery about the heart and how it operates day in and day out. Technology tells us the story of how the heart moves the blood throughout the body. The anatomy of the heart is very complex and fascinating.

A person’s heart is approximately the size of their fist. As your fist grows over time, so does your heart. The heart relies on oxygen to help it grow and stay healthy. The heart works hard from the time you are an infant, beating about 120 times each minute. As you get older your heart will beat fewer times per minute. When a child is about seven years old, the heart will only beat 90 times per minute. From the time you are eighteen through the rest of your life it will



beat about 70 times every minute.

The real heart doesn’t closely resemble the pretty one you see drawn for Valentine’s Day and other symbols of love. It is shaped like an inverted pear. The human heart has four cavities filled with blood. Two are called the atria and the other two are called the ventricles. At the top of the heart is the aorta which is a large blood vessel that is responsible for taking the blood away from the heart. Another large blood vessel called the pulmonary artery connects the heart to the lungs.

Heart surgery is sometimes needed to repair damage to your heart or to unplug an artery. Some individuals require a heart transplant because theirs isn’t working sufficiently to maintain the needs of the body. To keep your heart healthy you need to exercise regularly and eat a proper diet. You should refrain from smoking or taking drugs as both cause your heart to work harder than normal. Taking care of your heart is very important as heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.


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