01 / Location & anatomical relationships
In the chest between the lungs, with its tip pointing toward your left.
02 / Structure & organization
Four chambers are separated by septa and connected through valves. The right ventricle supplies pulmonary circulation; the left ventricle supplies systemic circulation. The myocardium receives its own blood supply through the coronary vessels.
03 / Function
The right side sends blood to your lungs; the left side sends it around your body.
04 / Mechanism
Four chambers fill and squeeze in a coordinated pattern. The upper chambers receive blood and the lower chambers pump it out. Valves keep it moving forward, and an electrical signal sets the rhythm. The heart muscle has its own blood supply through coronary arteries.
Working together: circulatory system
Your heart pumps blood to your lungs to collect oxygen. Blood then delivers oxygen to body cells and carries carbon dioxide back to your lungs.
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Connect structure with function
The sinoatrial node initiates normal rhythm, with conduction through the atrioventricular node and ventricular pathways. Valve opening follows pressure differences; valves do not actively pump blood.
Check your understanding
Locate the heart in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Further reading: NHLBI: How the Heart Works.
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.