The Circulatory System
Image retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/chambers-and-valves-of-the-heart/img-20007497
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What Cardiologists know about heartsThe human heart is about the size of your fist. It weighs between 7 and 15 ounces (or 200-425 grams) which is similar to a juice box or a can of soda. Many people think that the heart is on the left side of your body, but the heart is actually in the center of the body and only slightly off to the left side.
The Heart Pumps Blood The heart does more physical work than any other human muscle. It constantly pumps blood around our body through vessels. The heart has four chambers. The left chambers pump oxygenated blood to the cells and the right chambers pumps deoxygenated blood back to the lungs. You can hear a “Lub-dub” sound from your heart when the valves for the chambers close. The Cardiac Cycle Your heart is a muscle so it contracts and relaxes. When the heart contracts, it makes the chambers smaller and pushes blood into the vessels. When the heart relaxes, it fills with blood from the vessels. One contraction and one relaxation is your cardiac cycle. Electricity going through the heart makes it contract and relax. |
Super Speed
The heart pumps about 100 gallons (or over 400L) of blood each hour. That’s 1600 glasses of water!. All of this blood is pumped at the speed of 1 mile (or 1.6km) per hour. It only takes 20 seconds for your blood to travel your entire circulatory system, which means that a healthy person’s heart will have about 3.5 billion cardiac cycles over their lifetime. Heart Tools An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a machine you might see on TV shows. It looks like a computer monitor with a line across the screen. When the line spikes and the ECG makes a “Beep!” sound, it signifies the electricity going through the patient’s heart. Doctors use ECG’s to see if patients have an irregular heartbeat. The ECG can even track heart attacks.
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Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in North America. A heart disease means that the heart and the blood vessels are not working how they should. Here are some examples: Arteriosclerosis The arteries are hardened so they are not as flexible anymore. Atherosclerosis Cholesterol and fat attaches to the inside of arteries so blood has trouble flowing through the narrow path. Heart Attack A blood clot blocks blood from flowing to a part of the heart. Stroke A blood clot or a burst blood vessel blocks blood from reaching part of the brain |
Keeping your Heart Healthy
Healthy hearts can work for a very long time, but it is up to you to keep yours healthy! Your heart benefits from: Exercise Make your heart work for at least 30 minutes per day Eat healthy foods Fatty foods can block your arteries so the heart has to pump extra hard Drink lots of water (instead of sugary drinks) Make good choices as you grown older Smoking, illegal drugs, and too much alcohol can hurt your heart |
Additional Resources
Texas Heart
http://www.texasheart.org/ProjectHeart/Kids/Learn/fun_facts.cfm
Kids Health
http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/heart.html
National Geographic
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/the-truth-about-your-heart/#heart.jpg
Fun Kids Live
http://www.funkidslive.com/learn/hallux/heart-beat/fun-heart-facts/
http://www.texasheart.org/ProjectHeart/Kids/Learn/fun_facts.cfm
Kids Health
http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/heart.html
National Geographic
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/the-truth-about-your-heart/#heart.jpg
Fun Kids Live
http://www.funkidslive.com/learn/hallux/heart-beat/fun-heart-facts/