Form a fist. That’s the size of your heart. Your heart is not very big, but it does an
important job. You body can’t work or live without it. How does your heart
work? What are the different parts of the heart? In this paper we will try
to answer these questions.
Hearty Words to know….
CHowirculatory System:
this is the part of your body
that includes your heart and
blood vessels
Ventricles: the two lower
parts of the heart. One is
called the right ventricle and
one is called the left
ventricle.
Valves: there are four in the
heart. They are like doors
that open and close to let the
blood in and out.
Atria: The two upper parts
of the heart. One is the right
atrium and one is the left
atrium.
Aorta: the largest artery in
our body. It carries blood
away from the heart.
What are the main parts of the heart?
The five main parts of the heart are the right and left
ventricles, aorta, and right and left atria. They are all a part of the
Circulatory System. The aorta is the largest artery in our body. It
goes from the left ventricle and circulates blood through the body.
When you look at a picture of the heart it seems confusing because
the right ventricle and atrium are on the left side of the picture and
the left ventricle and atrium are on the right side of the picture. The
ventricles are at the bottom of each side of the heart and the atria
are at the top.
How does your heart work?
Oxygen poor blood from the body enters and fills the right atrium.
At the same time oxygen rich blood from the lungs enters and fills the left
atrium. When the valves open, blood in the artia is pumped into the right
and left ventricles. When the right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs the
left ventricle pumps blood out to the rest of the body.
Oxygen rich blood: blood
that has a high amount of
oxygen
What is the main job of the heart?
The main job of the heart is to pump blood all over
your body so that all of our organs can get the oxygen they
need to keep working.
Oxygen poor blood: blood
that has a low amount of
oxygen
Did you know?

 Your heart weighs about one pound.
Your heart pumps about one million barrels of blood in your lifetime.
 The blood vessels fed by your heart are 60,000 miles long.
Sources: www.2030site.org/fun/facts.html
The Heart by Seymour Simon.