THE HEART

Position of Heart in Human Body

 The human heart is located between the lungs,
behind and slightly towards the left of the
sternum(breastbone).
 Two-thirds of the heart is situated on the left side
of the chest, and the remaining part is balanced on
the right side of the chest.
The Shape of the heart is similar to a
triangle or shaped like an inverted cone.

Size: A typical heart is approximately

the size of our fist.
Mass: (230-350 grams)
The Function of Heart
The main functions of the heart:

 One of the primary function of the human heart is to

pump blood throughout the body. Blood delivers oxygen,
hormones, glucose and other components to various parts
of the body, including the human heart.

 The heart also ensures that adequate blood pressure is

maintained in the body.
STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN HEART
 The heart is made up of cardiac muscle tissue.
 A double-layered membrane called the pericardium
surrounds our heart like a sac.
 The Human Heart has four chambers.
1. Right atrium
2. Left atrium
3. Right ventricle
4. Left ventricle
 Two upper chambers , called the atria, are thin walled cavities that
receive blood from veins.
 Two lower chambers, called the ventricles, are thick walled cavities
that receive blood from the atria and pump blood away from the
heart through arteries.
 The left side chambers are separated from the right side chambers
by a wall of muscle called septum.
Heart Structure:
 The right side of the heart
receives deoxygenated
blood from the body and pumps
it to the lungs.
 The left side of the heart
receives oxygenated blood from
the lungs and pumps it to the
body.
 Blood is pumped towards the
heart in veins and away from
the heart in arteries.
 The two sides of the heart are
separated by a muscle wall Internal structure of a Human Heart
called the septum.
 The heart is made of muscle
tissue which are supplied with
blood by the coronary arteries.
ADAPTATIONS -Heart Structure
1. The ventricles have thicker muscle walls than the atria as they are
pumping blood out of the heart and so need to generate a higher
pressure
2. The left ventricle has a thicker muscular wall than the right
ventricle because it has to pump blood at high pressure around
the entire body with more pressure and has to overcome more
resistance to flow, whereas the right ventricle is pumping blood at
lower pressure to the lungs
3. The septum separates the two sides of the heart and so prevents
mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood
Valves in the heart[The Function of Valves]
 The direction of blood flow through the heart is maintained by valves.
 The basic function of all valves is to prevent blood flowing backwards.
 It allows one way flow of the blood.
 There are two sets of valves in the human heart:
1. The atrioventricular valves separate the atria from the ventricles.
2. The semilunar valves are found in the two blood arteries that come
out of the top of the heart.
Atrioventricular Valves(AV)
 The atrioventricular valves separate the atria from the ventricles.
 Two atrioventricular (AV) valves to prevent backflow of blood from the ventricles
into the atria.
 These valves are pushed open when the atria contract but when the ventricles
contract they are pushed shut to prevent blood flowing back into the atria.
 There are two types.
1. Tricuspid valve – located between the right atrium and right ventricle.(The valve
in the right side of the heart ).
2. Bicuspid valve or mitral valve – located between the left atrium and left
ventricle. (The valve in the left side of the heart).
Tricuspid and Bicuspid Valves
Semi-lunar valves
 Semilunar valves are present in the base of the pulmonary artery and
aorta
 They are unusual in that they are the only two arteries in the body that
contain valves.
 These valves open when the ventricles contract so blood squeezes past
them out of the heart, but then shut to avoid blood flowing back into the
heart.
 The two semilunar valves to prevent the backflow of blood into the
ventricle.
 There are two semilunar valves.
 Pulmonary valve / Pulmonary semilunar valve, located at the
opening between the right ventricle and the pulmonary trunk.
 Aortic valve / Aortic semilunar valve, located at the opening between
the left ventricle and the aorta.
Blood vessels connected to the heart
a. Inferior venacava and superior venacava- brings deoxygenated
blood from the body to the right atrium.
b. Pulmonary artery – carry deoxygenated blood from the right
ventricle to the lungs.
c. Pulmonary vein- bring in oxygenated blood from the lungs to the
heart.
d. Aorta- carry oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body.
e. The heart muscle is supplied with food and oxygen by the coronary
arteries.
Pathway of Blood through the Heart
 Deoxygenated blood coming from the body flows into the right atrium via
the vena cava.
 Once the right atrium has filled with blood the heart gives a little beat and
the blood is pushed through the tricuspid (atrioventricular) valve into
the right ventricle.
 The walls of the ventricle contract and the blood is pushed into
the pulmonary artery through the semilunar valve which prevents blood
flowing backwards into the heart.
 The blood travels to the lungs and moves through the capillaries past the
alveoli where gas exchange takes place (this is why there has to be low
pressure on this side of the heart – blood is going directly to capillaries which
would burst under higher pressure).
 Oxygen-rich blood returns to the left atrium via the pulmonary vein.
 It passes through the bicuspid (atrioventricular) valve into the left ventricle.
 The thicker muscle walls of the ventricle contract strongly to push the blood
forcefully into the aorta and all the way around the body.
 The semilunar valve in the aorta prevents the blood flowing back down into
the heart.
The direction of blood flow through the heart on the
diagram below

What is the correct route for blood flow in a human?

Right atrium → Right ventricle → Lungs → Left atrium → Left ventricle
NO PARTS FUNCTIONS
1 Right Atrium Receives deoxygenated blood from the tissues

2 Left Atrium Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs

3 Right ventricle Pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs

4 Left ventricle Pumps oxygenated blood to all the parts of the body

5 Tricuspid valve Prevents the back flow of blood from right ventricle when it
contracts
6 Bicuspid valve Prevents the back flow of blood from left ventricle when it contracts

7 Semilunar valve Prevents the back flow of blood from the arteries when ventricle
relax
8 Vena cava Brings deoxygenated blood to the right atrium

9 Aorta Carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to body parts

10 Pulmonary artery Carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to lungs

11 Pulmonary vein Brings oxygenated blood to the left atrium

12 Septum Separates the two sides of the heart