The heart

📖 In short

Put your hand on your chest and listen… thump, thump, thump! That's your heart, the amazing pump that never stops working, day and night. The heart is a strong muscle about the size of your fist, and it pushes blood to every part of your body.

🤩 Did you know?

Your heart beats about 100000 times a day!
If the blood vessels in your body were joined end to end, they'd go around the Earth more than twice.
The heart is a muscle that doesn't get tired, working all your life without stopping.
A doctor can listen to your heart with a stethoscope.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 What does the heart do?

The heart pumps blood through tubes called “blood vessels”. The blood carries oxygen and food to every cell in your body, then goes back to the heart to start the journey again.

🔍 Four chambers

Inside the heart are four chambers: two at the top that receive blood, and two at the bottom that push it out. Between them are little doors called valves, which close to stop the blood flowing back.

💡 Fast and slow beats

When you run and play, your heart beats faster to send more blood to your muscles. When you sleep, it calms down and slows. Children's hearts beat faster than grown-ups'.

🎯 How do I look after my heart?

Playing and moving every day, eating healthy food like vegetables and fruit, and getting enough sleep… all make your heart strong and happy.

📸 More pictures

With its steady rhythmic beats, the heart pushes blood through the arteries and veins of the circulatory system.

The human heart is almost fully formed eight weeks into pregnancy

🧩 Test yourself

1 About how big is the heart?

2 How many chambers does the heart have?

3 What happens to your heart when you run?

4 Which picture shows “The heart”?