The heart

The heart is a muscular organ. Its function is to pump blood. The right-side

pumps blood through the pulmonary circuit, while the left side pumps blood
through the systemic circuit.

A septum separates the right and left sides. The left side has thicker walls
because it needs to put the blood under higher pressure than the right side.

Valves

In general, blood flows into the heart from a vein, goes into an atrium, then
a ventricle, and out through an artery.

The heart contains valves to prevent the blood flowing backwards:

 the right side has a tricuspid valve (a valve with three flaps)
 the left side has a bicuspid valve (a valve with two flaps)
 both sides have semi-lunar valves (at the entrances to the pulmonary
artery and aorta).

Effect of exercise and adrenaline

During exercise, the muscle cells need more energy than usual. They
therefore need to respire more and, as a consequence, need more oxygen
and glucose, and they produce more waste carbon dioxide.

To meet this demand, the heart:

 contracts more often – the heart rate increases

 contracts more powerfully – the stroke volume increases, pumping a
greater volume of blood with each beat
  The changes in heart rate are easily observed by measuring the pulse
rate (for example, at the wrist or side of the neck).

The hormone adrenaline is secreted when we are afraid, stressed, or angry. It

also causes the heart rate and stroke volume to increase, preparing us for
‘fight or flight’. (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Flop or Fawn)

Your heart is a very strong muscle and plays an important part in being
healthy. It keeps all the blood in your circulatory system flowing.