Each day, your heart pumps nearly 2,000 gallons of blood. Over the course of an average lifetime, it will beat over 3 billion times. It is slightly larger than a clenched fist, and is located behind the sternum, between the lungs.
This article will explore your heart s anatomy. We ll describe its exterior, including the arteries and veins that supply blood to the muscle. We ll also describe the organ s interior, including the chambers, valves, and blood flow. Lastly, you ll learn how its electrical system helps ensure its proper function.
Exterior Of The Organ
A network of coronary arteries and blood vessels supply the surface of the organ with oxygenated blood. If anything obstructs this blood supply, the muscle can become damaged. This is known as a heart attack.
The organ receives oxygen depleted blood from the rest of your body through the inferior and superior vena cavae. Blood flows into the right side of your heart before traveling to your lungs through the pulmonary arteries. It picks up oxygen from your lungs and flows into the left side of the organ. Enriched with oxygen (by your lungs), blood leaves the left ventricle and travels through the aorta; some of it passes into the coronary arteries and supplies blood to the surface of your heart.
Interior Of The Organ
There are four chambers within your heart: two upper chambers called atria and two lower chambers called ventricles. The left and right sides are separated by a wall called the septum. A series of four one way valves help regulate the flow of blood as it moves through the organ.
As noted earlier, blood flows into the right atrium from the vena cavae. It then passes through the tricuspid valve as it moves into the right ventricle. From there, it flows through the pulmonary valve into the lungs before flowing into left atrium. The mitral valve controls the flow of blood between the left atrium and the left ventricle. The left ventricle empties as blood moves through the aortic valve into the aorta. This entire process is possible due to contractions triggered by your heart s electrical system.
The Electrical System
A group of cells within your right atrium form the sinoatrial node. This node produces electrical impulses that spread across the surface of each chamber, causing them to contract. The signals begin by spreading through the atria. As the atria contract, the blood within is forced through the corresponding valves into the ventricles.
The electrical impulses then arrive at another group of cells called the atrioventricular (AV) node. This node is located near the tricuspid valve (between the right atrium and right ventricle. The signals pause at the AV node while the ventricles fill with blood. Once they have filled, the signals are released in order to spread throughout the lower chambers, causing them to contract and push blood outward.
Your heart works tirelessly to pump blood between the chambers and your lungs, and out to the rest of your body. Over time, problems such as mitral valve disease, atrial fibrillation, and clogged coronary arteries can prevent the organ from performing its job. If such problems emerge, speak with your physician regarding an appropriate form of treatment.
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