Heart Anatomy and Function

  The human heart is a four-chambered muscular organ located in the thoracic cavity. It pumps blood throughout the circulatory system and is one of the most important organs in the body. The heart has several different functions:

To pump blood throughout the circulatory system

To regulate blood pressure within narrow limits

Section: Blood Flow Through the Heart's Four Chambers

Section: Pericardium

Takeaway: Learn more about how your heart works with this flow chart showing how blood moves through its chambers!

Human Heart

 The heart is a four-chambered muscular organ, shaped and sized roughly like a man's closed fist with two-thirds of the mass to the left of midline.

 The heart is a four-chambered muscular organ, shaped and sized roughly like a man's closed fist with two-thirds of the mass to the left of midline. It is located in your chest on the left side of your body. This makes it easy to identify by touch, which can be helpful if you are ever in need of emergency medical assistance.

The heart is about the size of a clenched fist (4" x 5"), or about 4 inches long and 5 inches wide.

 Heart Anatomy

 The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood through the body. It has four chambers, and it uses rhythmic contractions to pump blood into the pulmonary artery (to the lungs) and aorta (to all other parts of the body). The heart is located in the thoracic cavity in between your lungs and below your breastbone. It’s about the size of a fist, making it easy to feel during exams or to see on an X-ray.

Heart Diagram

 Heart Function

 Your heart is a four-chambered muscle that pumps blood through your body. It receives oxygen-poor blood from the veins, and then pumps it back to the lungs where it receives oxygen. The heart then beats again, sending this oxygenated blood throughout your body for use by organs such as your brain and muscles.

The pumping action of your heart is regulated by an electrical system in its wall tissue called the SA node (sinoatrial node). This area sends electrical impulses to other parts of the heart that contract muscles and squeeze valves closed allowing blood to flow through them. When you exercise or experience excitement or stress, adrenaline can also be released into your bloodstream which further increases your heart rate due to increased nerve activity near the SA node.

 The human heart is an amazing organ. Learn more about its anatomy and function.

 The human heart is an amazing organ. It works tirelessly throughout our lives, pumping blood through the body and keeping us alive. The heart is a four-chambered muscular organ, shaped and sized roughly like a man's closed fist with two-thirds of the mass to the left of midline. Its chambers are separated by thick walls that contain valves which control blood flow into and out of these chambers.

 Conclusion

 The heart is an amazing organ. Learn about its anatomy and function so you can better understand your own body and how it works.