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The size of a clenched fist, the heart is
comprised of four chambers made of muscle and linked by valves that act as doorways.
Facets and functions
The heart chambers, blood vessels
and electrical pathways work together
to ensure the heart pumps an
adequate amount of oxygen- and
nutrient-rich blood throughout the
body and carries away waste products.
Trouble in any part of any of the
heart’s components can disrupt
the entire system and lead to
problems elsewhere.
A cohesive system
For instance, a heart attack brought
about by clogged vessels may kill a
portion of heart muscle. Because that
section of muscle may have housed
key electrical signal components,
the heart may begin to suffer from
arrhythmia (heart rhythm disorder.)
Heart health
Keeping the entire heart system
healthy is, to a great extent, under
individual control. Commonly prescribed
advice to eat well, exercise,
and avoid smoking, can go a long
way in maintaining heart health.
However, certain heart problems
can appear despite the best efforts
to stay healthy.
Thanks to decades of research,
clinicians and patients can call on
a host of medicines, procedures
and interventions to minimize heart
problems and restore the organ’s
basic operation.
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|  Circulatory:
Arteries, veins and
capillaries all play key roles
in carrying blood to and from
the heart. The arteries carry
"fresh" blood rich in oxygen from
the heart to capillaries throughout
the body. The veins receive
"used" blood from the capillaries
and deliver it back to the heart.
The heart then pumps the blood
to the lungs, and the flow of
blood through the connected
web of vessels repeats again.
Electrical: The heart has a
unique, built-in electrical system.
A “pacemaker” triggers the
heartbeat. Then, the electrical
pathways that run through the
heart cause contractions in the
upper and lower chambers of
the heart, pumping blood in the
steady, rhythmic pattern that we
feel as our heartbeat. [more]
Structural:
The heart, which is
muscle tissue, is divided into four
chambers, each with it’s own
role. Blood travels between
chambers via valves that open,
to allow blood to flow to the
next chamber, and then close, to
ensure that blood moves forward
to its next station of activity. |
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