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structure working and disease of human heart​

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Structure and Function of the Heart

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Gaea Marelle Miranda, M.Sc.

By Gaea Marelle Miranda, M.Sc.

Reviewed by Dr. Tomislav Meštrović, MD, Ph.D.

As a central part of the circulatory system, the heart is primarily responsible for pumping blood and distributing oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Because of this task, the heart may be considered one of the most important organs of the body, such that even small dysfunctions or abnormalities may cause drastic changes or effects in the human organism.

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The heart is a muscle whose working mechanism is made possible by the many parts that operate together. The organ is divided into several chambers that take in and distribute oxygen-poor or oxygen-rich blood. These chambers are accompanied by veins and arteries that facilitate the same function. With all of its parts working together towards the same goal, the heart successfully pumps blood with ease.

Normally, a good-functioning adult heart could go on three cardiac cycles or 72 beats per minute—this rate changes for children whose heart rates are normally and relatively faster.

Structure of the heart

The heart can be found at the chest's center, underneath the sternum in a thoracic compartment. It comprises four chambers and several valves that regulate the normal flow of blood within the body.

Two chambers called atria are located in the upper portion of the heart with the left atrium receiving oxygen-rich blood and the right receiving oxygen-free blood. The valves that separate these chambers are called atrioventricular valves, composed of the tricuspid valve on the left and the mitral valve on the right.

On the other hand, ventricles are chambers found on the lower portion of the heart; they pump oxygen-enriched blood into the body's organs, reaching even the smallest cells. Similar to the atria, valves also separate the ventricular chambers. Collectively-termed as semilunar valves, these are comprised of the pulmonary and aortic valves.