What is the anatomy of the human heart? What is meant by anatomy?
1 Answer
The heart comprises four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. The atria and ventricles are separated from each other by valves.
Explanation:
Anatomy (from the Greek ana [up] and tomia [cut]) is that branch of science that studies the structure of living beings - usually by dissection and separation of its parts.
The anatomy of the human heart reveals four chambers: two atria (singular: atrium) and two ventricles. The atria are the smaller, upper chambers while the ventricles are the larger, lower chambers.
The right atrium is connected to the right ventricle by an opening controlled by a valve known as the tricuspid valve. The left atrium is connected to the left ventricle by an opening controlled by the mitral valve. The valves serve to prevent the reverse flow of blood.
The right atrium receives blood from two major veins - the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava which drain blood from the upper and lower parts of the body respectively. This blood is de-oxygenated blood. The right atrium pumps this blood through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle from where it is pumped via the pulmonary artery to the lungs for oxygenation. The pulmonary valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery keeps the blood flow unidirectional.
Oxygenated blood is received from the lungs via the pulmonary veins into the left atrium which then pumps it through the mitral valve into the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps this blood through the aortic valve into the aorta which transports it across the body.
