![]() The heart is a discrete organ, which in humans has four distinct chambers. The heart functions as a pump to maintain circulation. ![]() Deoxygenated blood and metabolic byproducts are returned from capillaries via venules and then vein. Oxygenated and nutrient rich blood is distributed to tissues via the arterial system, which branches into smaller and smaller blood vessels from arteries to arterioles to capillaries (where most exchange occurs). The electrical impulse originates in the sinus node which functions as the heart's natural pacemaker. The sinus node is most often located in the top of the right atrium. The electrical signals travel through the heart tissue causing the atria and ventricles to contract and relax and the blood to be pumped to the body.The primary function of the heart and blood vessels is to transport oxygen, nutrients, and byproducts of metabolism. The heart's built-in electrical system controls the speed of its pumping. It then begins its journey back to the heart, through the veins, and back into the inferior and superior vena cava for the process to begin again.Ī heartbeat is caused by an electrical impulse traveling through the heart.
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