Cardiovascular

System
The Heart
Ashley Insell, BSN RN
PCCN

The Heart

Learning Objectives

Distinguish the layers that make up the

heart
Identify chambers in the heart
Discuss the valves and their purpose
Review the vessels that carry blood to and
from the heart
Explain the pathway of blood through the
cardiac cycle

The Heart

Did You Know?

The heart begins beating at four weeks after

conception and does not stop until death.
Your heart beats an average of 100,000
beats per day.
Every year, your heart beats approximately
35 million times.
Over the course of a lifetime, that adds up
to an average of 2.5 billion heartbeats.
It pumps 5-6 quarts of blood each minute to
all parts of your body. This equates to about
2,000 gallons of blood every day.

The Heart

Did You Know?

Blood pumps through 60,000 miles of blood

vessels each day.
When the body is at rest, it takes only 6
seconds for the blood to go from the heart
to the lungs and back
Only 8 seconds for it to go the brain and
back
Only 16 seconds for it to reach the toes and
travel all the way back to the heart.
The heart pumps blood to almost all of the
bodys 75 trillion cells. Only the corneas
receive no blood supply.

The Heart

What is the Heart?

Large, muscular organ that pumps oxygen

and nutrients-rich blood through the vessels
and to the body tissues.
An electrical system controls your heart and
uses electrical signals to contract the
heart's walls. As the walls contract, blood is
pumped into your circulatory system.
Your heart is vital to your health without
the heart's pumping action, blood can't
move throughout your body.

The Heart

Location

The heart is located

behind the sternum
and between the
lungs.

1/3 lies to the right

of the midline

2/3 lies to the left of

the midline

The Heart

Layers

The Heart

Chambers

There are 4 chambers

Right atrium (RA)

Right ventricle (RV)
Left atrium (LA)
Left ventricle (LV)

Valves

There are 4 valves

Aortic valve
Pulmonary valve
Mitral valve
Tricuspid valve

The Heart

Blood Vessels

Superior and Inferior Vena Cava - bring

oxygen-poorblood from the body into the right
atrium
Superior
Vena
Cava

Inferior
Vena
Cava

The Heart

Blood Vessels

The pulmonary artery - channels oxygen-poor

blood from the right ventricle into the lungs

Pulmonary
Artery

The Heart

Blood Vessels

The pulmonary veins - bring oxygenrichblood to the left atrium

Pulmonary
Veins

The Heart

Blood Vessels

The aorta - channels oxygen-richblood to the

body
Aorta

The Heart

Pathway of Blood

The Heart

Pumps Your Blood

http://youtu.be/2RFVNjj8J3g

The Heart

References

Tortora, A Photograph Atlas of the Human Body, Second Edition

Chambers of the heart picture WebMD
Krames Staywell
Daniels, Patricia, et. al. 2007. Body: The Complete Human.
Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society
Avraham, Regina. 2000. The Circulatory System. Philadelphia, PA:
Chelsea House Publishers.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hhw/
Starr, Cecie; Evers, Christine; Starr, Lisa (2 January 2009).
Biology: Today and Tomorrow With Physiology. Cengage Learning. pp.
422.
ISBN978-0-495-56157-6. Retrieved 7 June 2012.