Published on 11/10/2024 by James Best

Exploring the Human Body: How Does Your Heart Work?

Hello, young body explorers! Today, we’re going on an incredible journey inside your chest to learn about one of the most important organs in your body - your heart!

Your Very Own Pump

Did you know that your heart is actually a pump? It’s about the size of your fist and sits in the middle of your chest, slightly to the left. This amazing pump works non-stop, day and night, to keep you alive and kicking!

The Heart’s Job

Your heart has a very important job: it pumps blood all around your body. This blood carries oxygen and nutrients to every part of you, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

Inside the Heart

Let’s take a peek inside your heart. It’s divided into four parts called chambers. There are two chambers on the right side and two on the left. The top chambers are called atria (say: AY-tree-uh), and the bottom ones are called ventricles (say: VEN-trih-kuls).

The Heart’s Journey

Now, let’s follow a drop of blood on its journey through your heart:

1. Blood that has been all around your body comes back to your heart through big veins. It enters the right atrium.
2. This blood doesn’t have much oxygen left, so it needs to be refreshed.
3. The blood moves down into the right ventricle.
4. From here, it’s pumped to your lungs where it picks up fresh oxygen.
5. The oxygen-rich blood comes back to your heart, entering the left atrium.
6. It then moves down to the left ventricle.
7. Finally, the left ventricle pumps this oxygen-rich blood out to the rest of your body.

And then the journey starts all over again!

The Heartbeat

Every time your heart pumps, it makes a “lub-dub” sound. That’s the sound of the heart valves opening and closing to keep the blood flowing in the right direction.

How Fast Does Your Heart Beat?

Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day! That’s more than 35 million times in a year. When you’re resting, it beats about 70 to 100 times a minute. But when you’re running around or playing sports, it can beat up to 200 times a minute!

Fun Fact: Giraffe Hearts

Speaking of hearts, did you know that giraffes have the highest blood pressure of any animal? Their hearts have to work extra hard to pump blood all the way up their long necks to their brains!

Be a Heart Hero

Now that you know how amazing your heart is, you can be a heart hero! Here are some ways to keep your heart healthy:

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
• Exercise regularly - try to be active for at least an hour every day
• Get enough sleep
• Don’t smoke (and tell adults not to smoke too!)

Listening to Your Heart

Here’s a fun experiment you can try at home: Make a simple stethoscope using a paper towel tube or a funnel. Place one end on a friend’s chest and the other end to your ear. Can you hear the “lub-dub” of their heartbeat?

Remember, your heart is working hard every second to keep you healthy. So take good care of it, and it will take good care of you!

Written by James Best