Structure Fits Function
Heart
Of course, the heart is an important organ, but it’s a lot more complicated than “it pumps blood”. It has multiple systems inside it to help it’s purpose. The blood gets pumped into the left atria from the veins
| Structure | Function |
| Right+left Ventricle | The place in the heart that is in charge of pumping oxygen-drained blood to the lungs. The right+ left ventricles are two of the four sections in the heart. The Atria are the other two. |
| The Pericardium | A fibrous covering that holds the heart in place. It has a fluid that “lubricates” the heart in the pericardial space to prevent friction. It has two layers, one of which is visceral layer, which covers the heart. The other forms a sac which has a fluid in the pericardial cavity. |
| Right+Left Atrium | The atria are chambers that receive blood from the veins.
The ventricles are chambers that pump blood out of the heart. |
| The Myocardium | The myocardium of is a muscle heart wall and constantly needs oxygen because it is hard working so there is an extensive network of veins to supply oxygen and nutrients so it can function properly. It’s other purpose it to dispose of waste. |
| Valves | Pumps need valves to keep the liquid going in one direction, and the heart isn’t an exception. The heart has two kinds of valves that keep the blood going in the right direction. The valves between the atria and ventricles are atrioventricular valves (also called cuspid valves), while the ones at the bases of the large vessels leaving the ventricles are semilunar valves.
The right atrioventricular valve is the tricuspid valve. The left atrioventricular valve is the bicuspid, or mitral, valve. The valve in between the right ventricle and pulmonary trunk is the pulmonary semilunar valve. The valve between the left ventricle and the aorta is the aortic semilunar valve. When the ventricles contract, atrioventricular valves close up to stop blood from flowing back into the atria. When the ventricles relax, semilunar valves close to stop blood from going back into the ventricles. |
