The heart is one of the essential organs for life and the protagonist of the circulatory system. It is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to all areas of the body. While we know its importance, few understand the parts of the heart and how it works.
The parts of the heart are many, even if in a very summary way, we could say like this It is divided into four main chambers: the atria and the ventricles. However, there are several other components essential to getting the job done.
The heart is made up almost entirely of muscle tissue.. This tissue is what allows it to contract and expand, thus constantly pumping blood. In this article we explain the parts of the heart and how they work.
Parts of the heart: the chambers
The parts of the heart are numerous, but it is important to know this they all act in a coordinated way. This is what allows blood to flow in the right direction and with the necessary force.
First of all, we must know that the heart is a hollow organ. It is formed by four chambers, which are two atria and two ventricles. Also, this organ is divided into a left side and a right side.
This is why the left atrium contacts the left ventricle through the mitral valve. In turn, the right atrium contacts the ventricle on the same side through the tricuspid valve.
left atrium
The left atrium is the cavity that receives oxygen-rich blood.. This blood arrives from the lung via the pulmonary veins. Blood passes to the left ventricle through the mitral valve.
Left ventricle
When the mitral valve opens, blood flows into the ventricle due to the pressure difference. In this way the left ventricle receives oxygenated blood, which pushes towards the aorta. That means, when the ventricle contracts blood passes to the aorta artery to be distributed throughout the body. At this point there is also the aortic valve.
right atrium
The right atrium is another part of the heart that is located in the upper area. The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood through the vena cava.. This blood passes to the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve.
Right ventricle
The right ventricle is the last of the cavities. It allows blood to pass to the lungs through the pulmonary arteries. This is where gaseous exchange takes place which re-oxygenates the blood.
Other parts of the heart: the valves
The valves are the structures we have been talking about, located at the entrance and exit of the cavities. Allow blood to flow in one direction only. That is, they allow blood to pass, for example, from the atria to the ventricles, preventing it from going back up to the atria. These are the following:
- Mitral valveIn the left side.
- Tricuspid valveon the right.
However, we also found valves in the pulmonary arteries and aorta. Its function is the same: to prevent blood from flowing back into the cavity. This is how the heartbeat is made effective.
What are the lesser known parts of the heart?
Although the chambers and valves are the best known parts of the heart, there are other structures fundamental to the functioning of this organ. First, we find the sinus node.
The sinus node is the structure that works like a cardiac pacemaker.. That is, it generates electrical impulses that will turn into contraction movements of the heart muscles.
Instead we find the atrioventricular node. It is also essential for the heartbeat, as it allows the impulse generated in the sinus node to be transmitted correctly. The same happens with bundles of fibers of His and Purjinke..
The heart is a very complex and essential organ for life.. Summarizing, we can say that it consists of four chambers and valves, which allow blood to always flow in the right direction. However, it is also important to know that there are lesser known areas, such as the sinus node, which are the ones that allow the electrical impulse to be produced and transmitted correctly.
Likewise, it is essential to know that there are blood vessels that come into contact with each cavity. As if we can’t forget it The coronary arteries are responsible for carrying blood to the heart itself..
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