BTEC Applied Science: Unit 5 B1 The Heart
BTEC Applied Science Help・2 minutes read
The heart is a powerful pump with four chambers that pumps blood throughout the body and lungs, facilitated by valves and a network of blood vessels, controlled by electrical impulses from nodes like the SAN and AV node, ultimately determining cardiac output in a healthy individual.
Insights
- The heart is a muscular pump with four chambers that work together to circulate blood throughout the body, with specific valves ensuring blood flows in the correct direction, forming a complex network of blood vessels branching out to various body parts.
- The heart's rhythm is controlled by the sinoatrial node (SAN) acting as a pacemaker, generating impulses for the heart to beat, with additional nodes and fibers coordinating the sequence of contractions, ultimately determining the cardiac output, which is the volume of blood pumped per minute, a key indicator of heart health.
Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free
Recent questions
What is the main function of the heart?
The main function of the heart is to pump blood throughout the body.
How many chambers does the heart have?
The heart has four chambers: two atria and two ventricles.
What is the role of the valves in the heart?
Valves in the heart ensure that blood flows in the correct direction.
What is the purpose of the sinoatrial node?
The sinoatrial node acts as the pacemaker, producing impulses for the heart to beat.
How is cardiac output calculated?
Cardiac output is calculated by multiplying the number of beats per minute by the stroke volume.
Related videos
Dr. John Campbell
Cardiovascular System 1, Heart, Structure and Function
CrashCourse
The Heart, Part 1 - Under Pressure: Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology #25
Peekaboo Kidz
How Do Your Body Parts Work? | Non Stop Episodes | The Dr. Binocs Show | PEEKABOO KIDZ
khanacademymedicine
Two Circulations in the Body | Circulatory system physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy
khanacademymedicine
Flow through the heart | Circulatory system physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy
Summary
00:00
"Anatomy and Function of the Human Heart"
- The heart is a pump that consists of two pumps next to each other, mostly muscle, pumping blood to the lungs and the rest of the body, roughly the size of a fist, located in the middle of the chest, protected by the rib cage.
- The heart has four chambers: the right and left atria where blood enters, and the right and left ventricles where blood is pumped out to the lungs and the body through valves.
- Blood from the body enters the right atrium, goes through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle, then to the lungs through the pulmonary artery, returning to the left atrium, passing through the mitral valve to the left ventricle, and finally pumped to the body through the aorta.
- The pulmonary artery splits to the left and right lungs, while the aorta branches out to various parts of the body, forming a complex network of blood flow.
- The vena cava is the main blood vessel from the body, the pulmonary artery carries blood to the lungs, and the pulmonary vein returns blood to the heart, with the aorta being the main artery away from the heart.
- The septum divides the left and right sides of the heart, the heart muscles contract due to signals from the heart itself, and valves ensure blood flows in the correct direction, with specific names like tricuspid, bicuspid, and semilunar valves.
- The sinoatrial node (SAN) acts as the pacemaker, producing impulses for the heart to beat, with a delay at the atrioventricular node to allow the atria to contract before the ventricles, controlled by the bundle of His and Purkinje fibers.
- Cardiac output, the volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute, is calculated by multiplying the number of beats per minute by the stroke volume, typically around 5 liters per minute for a healthy individual.
