How Your Heart Works: Animated Explainer

The heart is a remarkable muscular organ, about the size of your fist.It's divided into four main chambers, with the right side handling deoxygenated blood shown in blue.And the left side managing oxygen-rich blood shown in red.The septum is a strong muscular wall that divides the right and left sides of the heart.Four valves ensure blood flows in the correct direction through the heart.The right side of the heart, shown in blue, handles deoxygenated blood.While the left side, shown in red, manages oxygen-rich blood.The heart's walls are made of specialized cardiac muscle that beats continuously throughout your life.Blood circulation is a continuous process that occurs in several steps.Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium through the superior and inferior vena cava.This blood is then pumped into the right ventricle.From there, the blood is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen.The now oxygen-rich blood returns to the heart through the pulmonary veins, entering the left atrium.The blood moves into the left ventricle.Finally, the left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood out through the aorta to supply the rest of the body.This incredible process happens approximately one hundred thousand times every day.This continuous cycle of blood flow is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.The heart's electrical system is a sophisticated network of specialized cells that coordinate each heartbeat.The process begins in the sinoatrial node, or SA node, often called the heart's natural pacemaker.The SA node generates electrical impulses that spread through the atria, causing them to contract.The signal then reaches the atrioventricular node, or AV node, which acts as a crucial relay station.The AV node briefly delays the impulse by about one tenth of a second. This delay is essential, allowing the atria to complete their contraction before the ventricles begin to contract.From the AV node, the signal travels through the Bundle of His and into the Purkinje fibers, which spread throughout the ventricles.This specialized conduction system ensures that the heart chambers contract in the correct sequence, maintaining efficient blood flow throughout the body.