Heart anatomy explained

The heart is a large muscle which beats up to a 100,000 times a day pumping blood around the body.
The heart is divided down the middle by a wall of muscle (the septum) and each side of the heart has different functions:

• The left side receives oxygenated blood (has oxygen) from the lungs and pumps it out of the heart to the whole body.


• The right side receives deoxygenated blood (no oxygen) from the whole body and pumps it out of the heart into the lungs where it acquires its oxygen.

The heart has 4 chambers:

• The 2 upper chambers are called the right and left Atrium.
• The 2 lower chambers are called the right and left Ventricles.

Blood is pumped throughout the 4 chambers aided by the 4 heart valves which open and close to let blood flow in only one direction. Your heart valves open to allow the blood through and then close tightly ensuring no blood goes back the wrong way.

The 4 heart valves:

 Atrioventricular valves:

• These heart valves control the blood flowing between the upper and lower chambers. i.e valves connecting the Atrium and the Ventricles.

• The valve between the right Atrium and right Ventricle is called the Tricuspid valve.

• The valve between the left Atrium and left ventricle is called the Mitral valve.

Semilunar valves:

• These heart valves control the blood flowing out of your heart.

• Blood leaves the right ventricle to the lungs via the Pulmonary valve.

• Blood leaves the left ventricle to the rest of the body via the Aortic valve.

‘This information is intended as a guide only and should not be used as a substitute for medical information from your own doctor’