THE BASIC STRUCTURE OF HUMAN HEART AND ITS FUNCTION

The

human heart is about the sized of a clenched fist Lies in the thoracic cavity between the 2 lungs Cone-shaped, with apex of the cone pointing obliquely down to the left Surrounded by double layer of tough membranes pericardium Walls of heart composed mainly of cardiac muscles

 Heart

is divided into a left side and right side, separated by septum The right side deals with deoxygenated blood while the left side deals with oxygenated blood Each side of heart has 2 chambers atrium and ventricles Left ventricle : pumps blood to the whole body (except lungs) Right ventricles : pumps blood to the lungs --- Wall of the left ventricle is much thicker than right ventricle

 Left

atrium is separated from the left ventricle by a bicuspid valve Right atrium is separated from the right ventricle by a tricuspid valve Chordae tendinae prevents the valves from turning inside out when the ventricles contract The valves at the base of aorta and pulmonary artery are the semilunar valves

THE BLOOD FLOWS.

deoxygenated blood:
Right pulmonary artery Semilunar valve Right ventricle Semilunar valve

Superior vena cava

Tricuspid valve Right atrium

Inferior vena cava

Left pulmonary artery

THE BLOOD FLOWS.

oxygenated blood:
Aorta Semilunar valve Left ventricle

Right pulmonary veins

Bicuspid valve Left atrium

Left pulmonary veins

THE PUMPING OF THE HEART

The

initial stimulus originates from sinoatrial node (SAN) or pacemaker Pacemaker: - a group of specialized cells located in the wall of right atrium - Generates electric impulse which spread rapidly over the walls of both atria --- > contract - Blood is forced from atria into ventricles

THE PUMPING OF THE HEART

Electric

impulse spread to other node called the atrioventricular node (AVN) located in the base of atrium Impulse from AVN is send to the bundle of His (a strand of of modified fibres) which branches into Purkinje fibres - Causes the contraction of both ventricles to pump theblood out of the heart

 The

cardiac cycle is the series of events that occur during 1 complete heartbeat It includes the contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole) of both atria and ventricles The average heartbeat is about 72 heartbeats per minute

REGULATORY MECHANISM OF BLOOD PRESSURE