This PDF provides a clear and structured visual guide to the anatomy of the human heart. It breaks down complex topics into easy-to-understand sections, covering the heart’s location in the thorax, the path of blood circulation through the major vessels, and the function of its four chambers. The resource also details the different valves that ensure one-way blood flow and the specific muscles, like the trabeculae carneae and chordae tendineae, that facilitate heart contractions. Finally, it explains the two-part “lub-dub” sound of the heartbeat, linking it to the systolic and diastolic phases
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About the Author
The content in this PDF is adapted from educational materials created by E-learning UMCG and Med Nerdette, who have shared their work under Creative Commons licenses (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 and CC BY 2.0, respectively). These creators specialize in producing high-quality, accessible medical and biological educational content for students and the public.
FAQ
Q: Where is the heart located?
A: The heart is located in the thorax, behind the rib cage and between the lungs, slightly to the left of the body’s center.
Q: What are the four chambers of the heart?
A: The heart has four chambers: the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle.
Q: What causes the “lub-dub” sound of a heartbeat?
A: The “lub” (S1) is the closing of the atrioventricular valves (tricuspid and mitral), and the “dub” (S2) is the closing of the semilunar valves (aortic and pulmonic).
Q: What is the role of the chordae tendineae?
A: The chordae tendineae are small cords that connect the heart valves to the papillary muscles, preventing the valves from inverting during contractions.
Content of the File
Page 9: List of external resources for further learning.
Page 1: Title – Heart Anatomy
Page 2: Location of the heart in the thorax, behind the rib cage, slightly left of center.
Page 3: Overview of blood circulation through four major vessels (Aorta, Pulmonary Artery, Superior Vena Cava, Pulmonary Vein).
Page 4: Step-by-step blood circulation path: Body → Vena Cava → Right Heart → Lungs (via Pulmonary Arteries) → Left Heart (via Pulmonary Veins) → Aorta → Body.
Page 5: The four chambers of the heart: Right and Left Atria (top), Right and Left Ventricles (bottom), separated by the septum.
Page 6: The heart valves:
Atrioventricular: Tricuspid (right), Mitral (left).
Semilunar: Aortic (left ventricle to aorta), Pulmonic (right ventricle to pulmonary artery).
Page 7: Heart muscles: Trabeculae Carneae (ventricular muscles) and Chordae Tendineae (cords connecting valves to muscles).
Page 8: The Heartbeat: S1 (“lub”) is systole (AV valves close); S2 (“dub”) is diastole (semilunar valves close).
