Human Heart Structure and Function Notes

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1. Circulatory System
The circulatory system is responsible for transporting substances throughout the body. Its major components are the
heart, blood, and blood vessels. The heart acts as the central pump of the circulatory system, while blood vessels provide
the pathways through which blood travels.

The three main types of blood vessels are arteries, veins, and capillaries. Arteries generally carry blood away from the
heart, veins generally carry blood toward the heart, and capillaries are microscopic vessels where exchange of gases,
nutrients, hormones, and wastes takes place.

2. Human Heart: General Structure

The heart is a muscular pumping organ and the central hub of the circulatory system. It is located in the thoracic cavity
between the lungs, slightly toward the left side of the body. Its size is approximately that of a clenched fist.
The heart is surrounded by a tough protective membrane called the pericardium. The heart wall contains cardiac muscle
tissue, which contracts rhythmically and involuntarily. The muscular tissue of the heart is called cardiac muscle.

The human heart is four-chambered and forms a double circulatory system. It has two upper chambers called atria
(singular: atrium) and two lower chambers called ventricles. The right and left sides are separated by septa, preventing
mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

3. Four Chambers of the Heart

Right atrium: It receives deoxygenated blood returning from most of the body through the superior vena cava and inferior
vena cava. The superior vena cava carries blood from the upper parts of the body, while the inferior vena cava carries
blood from the lower parts.
Right ventricle: It receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium and pumps it toward the lungs through the pulmonary
artery. The pulmonary artery is unusual because it carries deoxygenated blood away from the heart.
Left atrium: It receives oxygenated blood from the lungs through the pulmonary veins. Pulmonary veins are unusual
because they carry oxygenated blood toward the heart.
Left ventricle: It receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium and pumps it into the aorta. The left ventricle has the
thickest muscular wall because it must generate enough pressure to send blood throughout the entire body.

4. Septa and Separation of Blood

The interatrial septum separates the right and left atria, while the interventricular septum separates the right and left
ventricles. This separation is essential because it prevents the oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs from mixing with
oxygen-poor blood returning from the body.
Therefore, the right side of the heart mainly handles deoxygenated blood and sends it to the lungs, whereas the left side
mainly handles oxygenated blood and sends it to the systemic circulation.

5. Heart Valves
Heart valves maintain one-way movement of blood and prevent backflow. The tricuspid valve is located between the right
atrium and right ventricle. The bicuspid valve, also called the mitral valve, is located between the left atrium and left
ventricle.

Semilunar valves are present at the exits of the ventricles. The pulmonary semilunar valve lies between the right ventricle
and pulmonary artery. The aortic semilunar valve lies between the left ventricle and aorta.
During ventricular contraction, the atrioventricular valves close to prevent blood from flowing back into the atria. During
ventricular relaxation, the semilunar valves close to prevent blood from returning from the arteries into the ventricles.

6. Major Blood Vessels

The aorta is the largest artery of the body. It carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the systemic circulation.
The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.
The superior vena cava and inferior vena cava return deoxygenated blood from the body to the right atrium. Pulmonary
veins return oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

Capillaries connect the smallest arteries (arterioles) with the smallest veins (venules). Their very thin walls allow efficient
exchange between blood and tissues.

7. Double Circulation
Humans have a double circulatory system because blood passes through the heart twice during one complete circuit of
the body.
Pulmonary circulation: Right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary veins → left atrium. In the lungs, carbon
dioxide is removed and oxygen is taken up.

Systemic circulation: Left ventricle → aorta → body tissues → veins → venae cavae → right atrium. In body tissues,
oxygen and nutrients are delivered and carbon dioxide and wastes are collected.

8. Blood Flow Through the Heart

Deoxygenated blood from the body enters the right atrium through the superior and inferior venae cavae. It passes
through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. The right ventricle contracts and sends blood through the pulmonary
semilunar valve into the pulmonary artery and then to the lungs.
Oxygenated blood returns from the lungs through the pulmonary veins and enters the left atrium. It passes through the
mitral (bicuspid) valve into the left ventricle. The left ventricle contracts and forces blood through the aortic semilunar valve
into the aorta. The aorta distributes blood to the body.
Flow summary: Body → venae cavae → right atrium → tricuspid valve → right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs →
pulmonary veins → left atrium → mitral valve → left ventricle → aorta → body.

9. Heart Wall and Pericardium

The heart is enclosed by the pericardium, which protects the heart and helps reduce friction during its continuous
movement. The heart wall is mainly described in layers, including the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium.
The myocardium is the thick muscular layer responsible for contraction. It is especially thick in the left ventricle because
that chamber pumps blood through the entire systemic circulation. The endocardium lines the internal chambers and
valves.

10. Cardiac Muscle and Contraction

Cardiac muscle is specialized muscle tissue found in the heart. It is involuntary, meaning its activity is not normally under
conscious control. Cardiac muscle cells are adapted for rhythmic contraction and coordinated pumping.
The heart has an intrinsic conduction system that coordinates its heartbeat. The sinoatrial (SA) node normally initiates the
electrical impulse, causing atrial contraction. The impulse then reaches the atrioventricular (AV) node and travels through
the conducting system to stimulate ventricular contraction.

11. Cardiac Cycle

The cardiac cycle is the sequence of events that occurs during one complete heartbeat. It includes atrial systole,
ventricular systole, and a period of relaxation called diastole.

During atrial systole, the atria contract and push blood into the ventricles. During ventricular systole, the ventricles contract
and eject blood into the pulmonary artery and aorta. During diastole, the heart chambers relax and fill with blood.

12. Additional MDCAT Points

Arteries usually have thick, elastic and muscular walls because blood leaving the heart is under relatively high pressure.
Veins generally have thinner walls, wider lumens, and valves that help prevent backflow, especially in the limbs.
Capillaries have walls approximately one cell thick, making them suitable for exchange.
The left ventricle has a thicker wall than the right ventricle because it pumps blood through the high-resistance systemic
circuit, whereas the right ventricle pumps blood only through the pulmonary circuit.
Remember the important exceptions: the pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood, and the pulmonary veins carry
oxygenated blood. The terms artery and vein describe the direction of blood flow relative to the heart, not simply the
oxygen content of blood.
The coronary arteries supply oxygen and nutrients to the cardiac muscle itself. If the coronary circulation becomes
severely restricted, the myocardium may not receive enough oxygen. This demonstrates why the heart requires its own
blood supply even though it contains blood inside its chambers.

13. Quick Revision Table

Right atrium — receives deoxygenated blood — venae cavae.

Right ventricle — pumps deoxygenated blood — pulmonary artery.

Left atrium — receives oxygenated blood — pulmonary veins.
Left ventricle — pumps oxygenated blood — aorta.
Tricuspid valve — between right atrium and right ventricle.
Mitral/bicuspid valve — between left atrium and left ventricle.

Pulmonary semilunar valve — between right ventricle and pulmonary artery.

Aortic semilunar valve — between left ventricle and aorta.

14. High-Yield Memory Trick

RIGHT side = BODY → LUNGS; LEFT side = LUNGS → BODY. Think: right heart sends blood for oxygen, left heart
sends oxygenated blood to the body. The pulmonary artery is the key exception for oxygen content, while pulmonary veins
are the opposite exception.