Human Heart

The human heart is a hollow, muscular organ about the size of a fist. Its job is to pump blood through the body's network of blood vessels. The heart, blood, and blood vessels are part of the circulatory system, which supplies all the body's cells with the oxygen and nutrients they need, and removes waste products. The human heart has chambers, valves, arteries, and veins -- and a complex electrical system keeps everything working smoothly and makes the heart beat.

 

Human Heart: An Introduction

In order to understand diseases that affect the human heart, it's important to know how the heart normally works.
 

The Purpose of the Human Heart

The human heart is a hollow, muscular organ about the size of a fist. Its job is to pump blood through a network of blood vessels. These vessels form a loop, which starts at the heart, goes out through your body, and then ends back at the heart again. Together, the heart, blood, and blood vessels are part of the circulatory system, which does two of the most important jobs in the body:
 
  • It carries oxygen and nutrients to all of your cells
  • It picks up carbon dioxide and other waste products that your body produces so they can be disposed of.
     

The Chambers of the Human Heart

The inside of a normal human heart is divided into four chambers:
 
  • The right atrium
  • The left atrium
  • The right ventricle
  • The left ventricle.
     
(Human Heart Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD