- The heart ensures that oxygen gets to the brain and all vital organs, it also links 160,000 kilometres of blood vessels to the body
- Weighs 500 grams
- Beats 70 times a minute and 100,000 times a day
- Pumps 4.7 litres of blood every 60 seconds through its chambers
- Two chambers on either side, are divided by a muscular wall which is lengthwise
- Veins move blood into the heart and arteries take blood away from the heart
- The chambers of the heart are formed 6 weeks after conception (pregnancy)
- The valve on the right is called a tricuspid valve and the left a mitral valve
Remember:
- Exercise makes you breathe faster, makes your pulse beat faster (your heart is beating faster)
- As you breathe faster you get more oxygen
- Your heart beats faster to pump more blood around your body. The blood takes oxygen and energy-rich food to your muscles
Interesting facts about your blood!
Red blood cells = carry oxygen to all parts of the body.
White blood cells = protect the body against disease.
Plasma = Carries food and waste around the body.
Blood platelets = make the blood clot if you cut yourself.