THE HUMAN HEART

The human heart is an organ that pumps blood to be circulated throughout the body. It supplies oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and removes carbon dioxide and other wastes. It does this twenty four hours, seven days a week. The tissues of the body need a constant supply of nutrition in order to be active and if [the heart] is not able to supply blood to the organs and tissues, they will certainly die. ANATOMY OF THE HEART In humans, the heart is roughly the size of a large fist and weighs between about 10 to 12 ounces (280 to 340 grams) in men and 8 to 10 ounces (230 to 280 grams) in women, according to Henry Gray's "Anatomy of the Human Body." The human heart has four chambers: two upper chambers (the atria) and two lower ones (the ventricles), according to the National Institutes of Health. The right atrium and right ventricle together make up the "right heart," and the left atrium and left ventricle make up the "left heart." A wall of muscle called the septum separates the two sides of the heart. A double-walled sac called the pericardium encases the heart, which serves to protect the heart and anchor it inside the chest. Between the outer layer, the parietal pericardium, and the inner layer, the serous pericardium, runs pericardial fluid, which lubricates the heart during contractions and movements of the lungs and diaphragm. The heart's outer wall consists of three layers. The outermost wall layer, or epicardium, is the inner wall of the pericardium. The middle layer, or myocardium, contains the muscle that contracts. The inner layer, or endocardium, is the lining that contacts the blood. The tricuspid valve and the mitral valve make up the atrioventricular (AV) valves, which connect the atria and the ventricles. The pulmonary semi-lunar valve separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery, and the aortic valve separates the left ventricle from the aorta. The heartstrings, or chordae tendinae, anchor the valves to heart muscles. The sinoatrial node produces the electrical pulses that drive heart contractions. Human heart function The heart circulates blood through two pathways: the pulmonary circuit and the systemic circuit. In pulmonary circulation, deoxygenated blood leaves the right ventricle of the heart via the pulmonary artery and travels to the lungs, then returns as oxygenated blood to the left atrium of the heart via the pulmonary vein. In systemic circulation, oxygenated blood leaves the body via the left ventricle to the aorta, and from there enters the arteries and capillaries where it supplies the body's tissues with oxygen. Deoxygenated blood returns via veins to the venae cavae, re-entering the heart's right atrium. The heart is also a muscle, so it needs a fresh supply of oxygen as well as nutrients. The cardiovascular system circulates blood from the heart to the lungs and around the body via blood vessels. After the blood leaves the heart through the aortic valve, two sets of arteries bring oxygenated blood to feed the heart muscle. The left main coronary artery, on one side of the aorta, branches into the left anterior descending artery and the left circumflex artery. The right coronary artery branches out on the right side of the aorta. Blockage of any of these arteries can cause a heart attack, or damage to the muscle of the heart, Phillips said. A heart attack is distinct from cardiac arrest, which is a sudden loss of heart function that usually occurs as a result of electrical disturbances of the heart rhythm. A heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest, but the latter can also be caused by other problems, he said. The pumping action of the heart produces a heartbeat. A healthy heart contraction happens in five stages. In the first stage (early diastole), the heart is relaxed. Then the atrium contracts (atrial systole) to push blood into the ventricle. Next, the ventricles start contracting without changing volume. Then the ventricles continue contracting while empty. Finally, the ventricles stop contracting and relax. Then the cycle repeats. Valves prevent back flow, keeping the blood flowing in one direction through the heart. AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE HUMAN HEART 1. Your heart is roughly the size of your fist. 2. It heart weighs between about 280 to 350 grams in men and 230 to 290 grams in women. 3. The heart beats about 100,000 times per day (about 3 billion beats in a lifetime). 4. An adult heart beats about 60 to 82 times per minute during rest, but increases when working/exercising or during fright. 5. Newborns' hearts beat faster than adult hearts, about 70 to 190 beats per minute. 6. The heart pumps about 6 liters of blood throughout the body. 7. The heart is located in the center of the chest, usually pointing slightly left. The heart functions properly if exercised and given appropriate nutrients. Wrong diet and non-exercise can place the heart in a bad condition. Too much cholesterol in the system can clog the circulatory system which may also lead to high blood pressure or hypertension and other avoidable diseases.

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