The Ultimate Deal on What the Heart Is!

Have you ever wondered what goes on within your body to keep your body functioning? Let’s cut through the skin and get to know what the heart truly is. The heart is a key organ in the human body that is responsible for the circulation of blood throughout the body. It is a hollow, muscular organ that is roughly the size of a fist and is located in the chest cavity between the lungs. The heart is divided into four chambers: two atria (known as the left and right atria), and two ventricles (the left and right ventricles), which work together to pump and circulate blood to all parts of the body. Now how do these atria and ventricles work exactly? The two atria receive blood from the veins and then the two ventricles forcefully pump the blood out of the heart.

So, what does the heart do for our bodies? The heart is a vital organ of the circulatory system, which helps nourish the body's tissues and organs with oxygen and nutrients. The heart receives blood from the veins and pumps the oxygenated blood to the arteries, which in turn deliver the blood to the body's tissues and organs. This continuous cycle of blood flow ensures that the body's tissues and organs receive the nutrients and oxygen they need to function properly.

Now, let’s zoom into what the heart is composed of? The heart is made up of three layers; the outermost layer is called the pericardium, the middle layer is the myocardium, and the innermost layer is called the endocardium. The myocardium is the thickest layer, and it is responsible for pumping the blood. The endocardium lines the inner surface of the heart's chambers, while the pericardium is a sac-like structure that surrounds the heart and helps protect it from damage.

                                         

When most of us think about the heart, we typically think about blood pressure, right? Well, what exactly is happening when we’re measuring blood pressure? The heartbeat is when the heart muscle is contracting/ squeezing to pump the oxygenated blood into the blood vessels which is also known as the systolic reading. Once these tightened muscles relax and the blood can flow through easily, it is the diastolic reading.

The heart has an intricate electrical system that regulates its rhythmic contractions. No, your heart doesn’t have wires going through it, but this system is called the cardiac conduction system which controls the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. With each heartbeat, these electrical systems travel across the heart from the top to the bottom. There are 2 nodes that work together to allow for these signals to travel and cause the heart to contract and pump blood. Now, the names for the nodes may be a mouthful, but they are what are keeping us in good functioning. The sinoatrial (SA) node, located in the right atrium, is known as the heart's natural pacemaker. The SA node sends electrical signals to the atrioventricular (AV) node, which then sends the signals down to the ventricles, causing them to contract and pump blood throughout the body.

All in all, the heart is a vital organ that keeps us alive and healthy. It performs a critical role in the circulatory system, pumping blood throughout the body, and providing nutrients/ oxygen to the organs and tissues.