The heart

The heart is a muscular organ. Its function is to pump blood. The right side pumps blood through the pulmonary circuit,
while the left side pumps blood through the systemic circuit.

A septum separates the right and left sides. The left side has thicker walls because it needs to put the blood under
higher pressure than the right side.

The main parts of the heart, seen in cross-section from the front
Valves

In general, blood flows into the heart from a vein, goes into an atrium, then a ventricle, and out through an artery.

The heart contains valves to prevent the blood flowing backwards:

 the right side has a tricuspid valve (a valve with three flaps)
 the left side has a bicuspid valve (a valve with two flaps)
The heart is the major organ of the circulatory system It is a fist-sized muscular pump consisting of four chambers.

FOUR CHAMBERS OF THE HEART

 The right atrium receives blood from the veins and pumps it to the right ventricle.

 The right ventricle receives blood from the right atrium and pumps it to the lungs, where it is loaded with
oxygen.

 The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the left ventricle.

 The left ventricle (the strongest chamber) pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. The left ventricle’s
vigorous contractions create our blood pressure.

BLOOD VESSELS

 The Aorta is connected to the left ventricle and carries oxygenated blood to all parts of the body except the
lungs.
  The Vena Cava is connected to the right atrium and brings deoxygenated blood back from the tissues of the
body.

 The Pulmonary Artery is connected to the right ventricle and carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs.

 The Pulmonary Vein is connected to the left atrium and brings oxygenated blood back from the lungs.

HEART VALVES

There are valves between the atria and the ventricles and there are valves leading out of the ventricles.

 Tricuspid valve - Valve between right atrium and right ventricle

 Mitral or Bicuspid valve - Valve between left atrium and left ventricle

 Pulmonary valve - Valve leading out of right ventricle

Aortic valve - Valve leading out of left ventricle

How Hearts functions:

Progress check: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/labelling_interactives/1-label-the-heart