The heart is comprised of blood vessels, valves, and muscles that work jointly to deliver blood to the whole body roughly once every second. Here is a breakdown of its parts:
I. Blood Vessels
– All veins (except the pulmonary vein) transport oxygen-poor blood to the heart.
– All arteries (except the pulmonary artery) transport oxygen-rich blood to the body.
II. Two Pumps
– The heart is divided into two separate pumps: right and left.
– The right side deals with deoxygenated blood, whereas the left side with oxygenated blood.
III. Blood Flow
(1) Coming in from the superior and inferior vena cavae, deoxygenated blood travels to the right atrium and then to the right ventricle.
(2) From there, that blood gets moved to the lungs for oxygenation.
(3) Once the blood has been oxygenated, it gets transported to the left atrium and then the left ventricle.
(4) Lastly, that blood, now oxygen-rich, exits the left ventricle via the aorta, where it gets delivered to the rest of the body for oxygenation.
IV. Valves
– Valves prevent blood from back flowing. They are strong cusps of tissue.
– There are four valves of the heart: Tricuspid, Aortic, Pulmonary, and Mitral (Bicuspid).
(1) The tricuspid valve channels proper blood flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle.
(2)