Question

Describe the flow of blood through the heart of human beings.

Answer 1

Human heart:

The human heart is located in the center of the thoracic cavity (chest cavity) slightly to the left of the sternum (breastbone). It lies between the lungs and is enclosed in a membrane called the pericardium. The pericardium serves to protect the heart.

The human heart has four chambers-

1. Two Atria or Auricles (upper chambers)
2. Two Ventricles (lower chambers)

The flow of blood through the heart:-

1. Deoxygenated blood from different organs comes to the right atrium through the vena cava (upper part of the body i.e. head, and neck from the superior vena cava and lower part of the body i.e. thoracic, abdominal region, and limbs from the inferior vena cava)
2. From the right atrium, deoxygenated blood goes to the right ventricle. The tricuspid valve or right atrioventricular valve (consists of three thin flaps of tissue) between the right atrium and right ventricle prevents the back-flow of blood.
3. From the right ventricle, deoxygenated blood goes to the lungs for oxygenation through the pulmonary artery.
4. Inside the lungs, gaseous exchange takes place in which carbon dioxide is removed from the blood and oxygen enters the blood.
5. From the lungs, oxygenated blood goes to the left atrium through the pulmonary vein.
6. From the left atrium, oxygenated blood goes to the left ventricle. The bicuspid valve or mitral valve (consists of two thin flaps of tissue) between the right atrium and right ventricle prevents the back-flow of blood.
7. From the left ventricle, oxygenated blood is pumped into the aorta so that it can be supplied to different body organs/tissue/cells.