chambered heart
Quick Summary
The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body. It is divided into four chambers: two upper chambers called atria and two lower chambers called ventricles. These chambers are separated by partitions called septa.
- Atria: These chambers receive blood. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body, while the left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs.
- Ventricles: These chambers pump blood. The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs, and the left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.
Valves within the heart ensure that blood flows in only one direction. The rhythmic contraction and relaxation of these chambers, known as the cardiac cycle, is essential for maintaining circulation.123
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circulatory systemHeartsChambered hearts with valves and relatively thick muscular walls are less commonly found in invertebrates but do occur in some mollusks, especially cephalopods (octopus and squid). Blood from the gills enters the atrium and is passed back to the tissues by contraction of the ventricle.…
Read MoreChambered hearts with valves and relatively thick muscular walls are less commonly found in invertebrates but do occur in some mollusks, especially cephalopods (octopus and squid). Blood from the gills enters the atrium and is passed back to the tissues by contraction of the ventricle.…
Read More- circulatory systemThe heart
The vertebrate heart lies below the alimentary canal in the front and center of the chest, housed in its own section of the body cavity. During the development of an embryo, the heart first appears below the pharynx, and although it may also be in this position…
Read MoreThe vertebrate heart lies below the alimentary canal in the front and center of the chest, housed in its own section of the body cavity. During the development of an embryo, the heart first appears below the pharynx, and although it may also be in this position…
Read More