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Physical Education - How big is the heart?
How big is the heart?
This depends. Are you a human? Well, then it is generally about the size
of your fist. This is not really very big when you think about the job it
does. In some animals, such as horses, the heart size to body size ratio is
much greater. This helps explain why horses are such great endurance
athletes! The heart is also bigger in champion endurance athletes, due to
genetics and training [1].
In a sense, the heart is really two hearts, the left heart and the right.
Both sides pump the same amount of blood, but to different locations at
different pressures. The right side (right ventricle [2]) pumps
oxygen-depleted blood that has returned from the body to the lungs for
reoxygenation. This is a short trip and requires little pressure
development, so the right ventricle is rather thin walled like a fireplace
bellows. The left side (left ventricle) is the real workhorse, pumping
oxygenated blood that has returned from the lungs (the right and left side
of the heart are thus connected) to the entire body. That means moving
blood through an incredible maze of blood vessels, from the top of the head
to the toes! Consequently it must develop more pressure each beat (about
120mmHg at rest). The left heart muscle is thicker as a result, just as
your bicep would become thicker if you had to lift heavy weights with it
all day.
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[1] http://alison.com/#
[2] http://alison.com/#
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our heart is amazing
The heart is typically the size of a fist: 12 cm (5 in) in length, 8 cm (3.5 in) wide, and 6 cm (2.5 in) in thickness.
Where can I find information on how big the heart is?How
How big is the heart? This depends. Are you a human? Well, then it is generally about the size of your fist. This is not really very big when you think about the job it does. In some animals, such as horses, the heart size to body size ratio is much greater. This helps explain why horses are such great endurance athletes! The heart is also bigger in champion endurance athletes, due to genetics and training. In a sense, the heart is really two hearts, the left heart and the right. Both sides pump the same amount of blood, but to different locations at different pressures. The right side (right ventricle) pumps oxygen-depleted blood that has returned from the body to the lungs for reoxygenation. This is a short trip and requires little pressure development, so the right ventricle is rather thin walled like a fireplace bellows. The left side (left ventricle) is the real workhorse, pumping oxygenated blood that has returned from the lungs (the right and left side of the heart are thus connected) to the entire body. The left heart muscle is thicker as a result, just as your bicep would become thicker if you had to lift heavy weights with it all day.
What are the causes of heart increase?