In Depth: Blood Flow

The flow of blood through the heart follows a very deliberate path to ensure that
oxygenated blood from the lungs passes through major arteries and gets delivered to
body tissues. This process occurs on an average of 70 to 75 times a minute, pumping
about 2,000 gallons of blood every day.
Regular, rhythmic contraction of the myocardiumthe thick, middle layer of cardiac
muscleprovides the pumping pressure that allows blood to flow through veins and
arteries.
To best explain bloods journey through the body, lets start will a single cells trip
from the tips of one of your fingers to the tip of a toe:
1.

2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
8.

A blood cell without oxygen will travel through a vein until it meets up with
the superior vena cava, a large vein that takes blood from the head and arms to
the heart.
The cell passes the right atrium, where it meets with blood from the lower part
of the body from the inferior vena cava.
After passing through the tricuspid valve, blood is pumped into the right
ventricle, which pumps blood through the pulmonary valve and into
the pulmonary trunk, a sort of T-intersection in the chest.
At this point, the cell either goes right or left. For the sake of argument, our cell
chooses the left pulmonary artery. It follows that route until it meets capillaries in
the left lung where it receives oxygen.
At this point in the process, the cell will return to the heart via the left
pulmonary vein and meet up with other blood from the right lung in the left
atrium of the heart.
The blood then flows down through the mitral valve and into the left
ventricle. This is the part of the heart that pumps blood throughout the entire
body.
After a quick burst through the aortic valve, the blood follows through
the ascending aorta and out through the circulatory system to your toes.
After the organs and muscle tissue use the oxygen, itll travel up the inferior
vena cava and back to the heart, starting the process all over again.

Because your heart continues this process millions of times a year, its important to
keep your heart healthy with proper nutrition and aerobic exercise.