{# Crawler directives — per-engine only. A bare `robots` meta is deliberately absent: pruning here is a Google indexation decision, never a crawl block, so AI crawlers keep the full surface. #}

Heart

Cor

A muscular pump roughly the size of a fist, the heart lies in the middle mediastinum and drives blood through the pulmonary and systemic circuits. It beats about 100,000 times a day, moving some 7,500 liters of blood. Four chambers organize its work: the right atrium and ventricle receive deoxygenated blood and send it to the lungs, while the left atrium and ventricle receive oxygenated blood and pump it to the body. Coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death worldwide, narrows the vessels that supply the muscle, and occlusion of a coronary artery produces myocardial infarction. Heart failure, valvular disease, arrhythmias, and congenital defects account for much of the remaining cardiovascular burden.

A muscular organ roughly the size of a fist, located in the middle mediastinum. It has four chambers: right and left atria and ventricles. The right side receives deoxygenated blood and pumps it to the lungs; the left side receives oxygenated blood and pumps it to the body.

On this page
Typ Organ
Körpersystem Cardiovascular
Körperregion Heart Region
Übergeordnete Struktur mesoderm-derived structure
Lateinischer Name Cor
FMA ID 7088

Funktion

The central pump of the cardiovascular system, propelling blood through the pulmonary and systemic circuits. Beats approximately 100,000 times per day, pumping about 7,500 liters of blood daily.

Klinische Bedeutung

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Myocardial infarction results from coronary artery occlusion. Heart failure, valvular diseases, arrhythmias, and congenital heart defects are major cardiovascular conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the heart do?

The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body via the circulatory system. It beats approximately 60–100 times per minute at rest, circulating oxygenated blood to tissues and returning deoxygenated blood to the lungs. It consists of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles.

Where is the heart located?

The heart is located in the mediastinum, the central compartment of the thoracic cavity, between the lungs. It sits behind the sternum and slightly to the left of the midline. It rests on the diaphragm and is enclosed in a protective sac called the pericardium.

What are common conditions affecting the heart?

Common heart conditions include coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), myocardial infarction (heart attack), and cardiomyopathy. Valvular disorders such as aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation are also frequently encountered in clinical practice.

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy — FMA:7088 Reference anatomy ontology (University of Washington)
  2. UBERON — UBERON:0000948 Cross-species anatomy ontology (EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service)

Medizinischer Haftungsausschluss

Dieser Inhalt dient ausschließlich zu Bildungs- und Informationszwecken. Er ist nicht als Ersatz für professionellen medizinischen Rat, Diagnose oder Behandlung gedacht. Wenden Sie sich bei Fragen zu einem medizinischen Zustand stets an Ihren Arzt oder einen anderen qualifizierten Gesundheitsdienstleister. Ignorieren Sie niemals professionellen medizinischen Rat oder verzögern Sie dessen Einholung aufgrund von etwas, das Sie auf dieser Website gelesen haben.

Educational Disclaimer

This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for medical decisions.

Data sources: Terminologia Anatomica, Foundational Model of Anatomy, Wikidata.