The heart is the main organ of our body. It is on how it works, in what condition it is, and human he alth depends. And the function of the heart is a very broad topic that everyone should be familiar with at least superficially.
Building features
So, the first thing to note is that this organ is located on the left side of the chest. Although there is a small group of completely unique people in our world, their heart is on the right side. Usually such individuals have a very peculiar structure of the body, that is, a mirror. And, accordingly, the heart is also opposite to the usual location.
In general, this organ consists of four cavities - from the left and right atria, as well as from the ventricles. These chambers are divided by partitions. The heart has a rather peculiar structure. The drawing, which depicts the organ, shows exactly what it is. But cavities are not the most important thing. The valves responsible for blood flow deserve special attention.
Location of heart valves
The first thing to say aboutThis part of the heart is that the pulmonary veins go into the left atrium, and the hollow ones into the right atrium. The ascending aorta and the pulmonary trunk originate from the right and left ventricles. So, this topic is worth considering in more detail. The left ventricle is separated from the atrium (located on the same side) by the mitral valve, which is also called the bicuspid valve. And the right one is separated from the atrium by a tricuspid valve. Even in the heart, the drawing of which allows us to examine in detail the structure of this organ, there are aortic and pulmonary valves. They are responsible for the process of blood flowing out of the notorious ventricles.
Circulation process
What is the most important function of the heart? Naturally, blood circulation. Without this, the body would not be able to fully function. Everyone knows that the heart carries out two circles of blood circulation - small and large. The first of these begins in the right ventricle, and its end is in the left atrium. He is responsible for the full gas exchange in the alveoli of the lungs. Regarding the second, it is worth noting that a large circle begins in the left ventricle, and ends, as you might guess, in the right atrium. He is responsible for providing blood not only to the lungs, but also to other human organs. All this is fully realized only with a he althy heart.
Valve mechanism in action
Much has been said about valves and the function of the heart. Their work must be clear and coordinated. After all, the pumping function of the heart depends precisely on the valves, which inaggregates form a whole mechanism. The tricuspid valve opens and blood flows into the right ventricle from the atrium. As soon as it fills with blood, the valve closes under the pressure of the muscle. And then the blood can only exit through the pulmonary trunk, into which the pulmonary valve leads, which opens under the pressure of the blood, which rises during the contraction of the right ventricle. And blood can flow there only if the mitral valve is open. The entrance to the aorta is closed by the aortic valve, which consists of three valves, which resemble the appearance of crescents. When the left ventricle is relaxed, it is closed, and so the venous blood passes into the right atrium. Thus, blood circulation is carried out. Of course, in words it is all very long, but in reality it takes only a moment. Our hearts work so fast.
Facts you should know
The structure and functions of this organ are not only important, they are also interesting. So, for example, not everyone knows that blood circulation is carried out about 100,000 times a day at a distance of about 100,000 kilometers! It is amazing, but it is precisely this length that all the vessels of our body make up. And if we talk about how many times a year our heart contracts, then the figures are simply astronomical - more than 34 million! And, finally, the latest data - during this time period, the heart pumps three million liters of blood. This is an incredible amount. So, if you ask yourself a question about what function the heart performs, then we can definitely say -vital. And he does a great job for this. It is worth noting one more nuance: one single contraction takes such an amount of energy that would be enough to lift a load of 400 grams of weight to a height of 1 meter. And this is also taking into account the fact that the heart, being in a calm state, spends only 15 percent of the amount of its reserves that it has. But if an organ does hard work, then it expends 35% of its energy. This is our heart, the structure and functions of which are really special and unique.
Myocardium and its specifics
Here you can talk for a long time and quite a lot. Take, for example, contractile myocardial cells. Discussing the functions of the heart, it is impossible not to pay attention to this moment. The fact is that they have been working non-stop for many years. Therefore, it is very important that they are constantly supplied with air. The lack of oxygen and other nutrients negatively affects the functions of the human heart. If they do not act, then the cells will begin to die off, and instantly. After all, they do not make reserves that could be useful in such cases. The life of the heart cells is a relentless blood circulation. Moreover, the muscle, which is saturated with blood, can starve. After all, the myocardium does not feed on blood that fills its cavities. Oxygen and all nutrients go through the vessels extending from the aorta.
Pump function
Is one of the main ones. And it consists in the alternation of diastole andsystole of the cardiac ventricles is their alternate relaxation and contraction. During diastole, the ventricles fill with blood. If systole occurs, then they transfer blood to the pulmonary trunk and to the aorta, that is, to the large arteries. As you can remember, there are heart valves next to the ventricles, which are an obstacle to the backflow of blood into the heart from the artery. After all, the blood, before filling the ventricles, passes through large veins straight into the atria. Contractions are the precursor to ventricular systole. We can say that the atria are a kind of auxiliary pump that helps to fill the ventricles.
Functional elements of the heart
Their meaning is as important as the work done by the valves. Muscle fiber is just one of the functional components. This is a chain made up of myocardial cells that are connected to each other and enclosed in a single sarcoplasmic membrane. It should be noted that the fibers are divided into several types. It all depends on their functional, as well as morphological individual characteristics. The first type is the fibers of the myocardium of the ventricles and atria. They make up the main muscle mass and are the ones that provide the pumping function. And the second type is the muscle fibers of the so-called conduction system. They are responsible for the appearance of excitation, as well as for its transmission to myocardial cells. So the rapid heartbeat is a consequence of a violation in the functional components of the central human organ.
Consequences of violationheart work
His he alth depends on how well the functions of the human heart are carried out, this has already been mentioned. Unfortunately, today many suffer from diseases associated with this organ. They are actively ill people of the elderly and advanced age. And this is due to what was mentioned - this body works non-stop throughout life, and it is not surprising that after 50-60 years of continuous work it gets tired. Three out of five people die due to heart disease, mostly from heart attacks.
Diseases include three main groups of diseases that affect blood vessels, valves and membrane tissues. For example, atherosclerosis is a disease that affects the heart vessels. By the way, the most common ailment. Or heart failure, many suffer from it too. Another serious disease should be attributed to vice. The essence of the disease lies in the violation of any function of the heart valves. Moreover, the defect can be either acquired or congenital. Arrhythmia also occurs if the functions of a person's heart are impaired. Most often, it appears due to a knocked down sequence, frequency or rhythm of the heartbeat. Some people suffer from angina pectoris (oxygen starvation). And finally, attention should be paid to such a violation as myocardial infarction. A type of coronary disease - when this disease occurs, the area of \u200b\u200bthe myocardium ceases to be saturated with blood, or this does not happen as intensely as usual.
Rapid heartbeat
Based on all of the above, it can be understood that if any changes occur with our mainorgan, then this is definitely a violation of any function of the heart. Perhaps the most common and most commonly observed ailment is heart palpitations. This may be tachycardia, which occurs due to ischemic disease, myocarditis, myocardial dystrophy, or due to a defect. But sometimes this ailment is not associated with the heart - it may be due to a thyroid disease, menopause, or a tumor that has manifested itself. Many people simply do not pay attention to recurring pain or strange sensations. And in vain, because our heart is under a huge load. You should be especially careful about this if your own activity is associated with nervous work, stress and breakdowns.
Additional features
Besides blood circulation, this important organ has other possibilities. What other main functions of the heart should be highlighted? Perhaps the so-called automatism is its ability to generate such impulses that provoke excitement. The sinus node is the most automatic. You can’t forget about conduction - the function of the myocardium, or rather its ability to transmit impulses directly to the contractile part of the heart. Actually, excitability is the process of increased heart rate under the influence of impulses. And, of course, refractoriness, which consists in the inability to be activated by excited myocardial cells in the event that additional signals begin to come to them. It is divided into absolute (when the heart is absolutely apathetic towardsany excitation), as well as relative (the organ reacts to a very strong manifestation). So the functions of the human heart are limitless.
The only thing I would like to note is that it needs to be looked after. After all, this organ is very important, and the duration of a person’s life depends on its condition. Thus, based on the foregoing, it can be confidently stated that the heart, the structure and functions of which were considered in detail, is a mechanism consisting of a mass of vessels, cavities and valves interconnected by one goal - to ensure full blood circulation. After all, it is necessary for the life of any living being. So that's exactly what the heart does.
