The heart is a muscle and is also known as the
body’s pumping system. A healthy heart is a strong, hardworking pump and is
about the size of a fist. It is the center of the circulatory system and
consists of a network of blood vessels that delivers blood to every part of the
body. The blood carries oxygen and other important nutrients that all body
organs need.
The heart is divided into two separate pumping
systems: the right side and the left side. These sides contain the four
chambers of the heart. The four chambers are: the right atrium, right
ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle. The four chambers of the heart are
made of a special muscle called myocardium, which does the main pumping work.
Healthy heart blood flow patterns flow from body to heart to lungs to heart and
back to body.
The four heart valves are: The tricuspid valve (located between the
right atrium and right ventricle), the pulmonary valve (located between the
right ventricle and pulmonary artery) the mitral valve (between the left atrium
and left ventricle) and the aortic valve (between the left ventricle and the
aorta). All of the valves together control the flow of blood in and out of the
chambers. The valves are designed to keep blood flowing forward only, which
prevents backflow.
The right atrium receives oxygen poor blood
from the body and pumps it to the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve.
The right ventricle pumps the oxygen poor blood to the lungs through the
pulmonary valve. The left atrium receives oxygen rich blood from the lungs and
pumps it to the left ventricle through the mitral valve. The left ventricle
pumps the oxygen rich blood through the aortic valve out to the rest of the
body. When your heart functions properly all four chambers work together in a
continuous and coordinated effort to keep oxygenated rich blood circulating
throughout your body.
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