Where is the heart?

The health of the human heart has a great impact on life expectancy. Some people are sixty years old but have the heart of a thirty-year-old, while others are thirty years old but have the heart of a sixty-year-old, which is very distressing. In fact, whether your heart is strong or not is related to your daily care. In addition to appropriate exercises that are good for the heart, you should also pay attention to your diet. But some people still don’t know where the heart is. Let us learn the details below.

Simply put: The position of the heart is located between the two lungs in the chest cavity, about 2/3 of the heart is on the left side of the midline, and 1/3 is on the right side of the midline. The apex of the heart is projected to the left front and lower body surface, which is equivalent to the fifth intercostal space on the left side, about 8 cm from the midline. The shape of the heart is like a peach.

The heart is about the size of a person's fist and weighs about 260 grams. It is located within the chest cavity; usually on the left side of the chest, between the second to fifth ribs. In front of it is the sternum, on the medial side of the left midclavicular line. Behind it are the esophagus, large blood vessels and spine; on both sides are the lungs, so the heart is well protected. The shape of the heart is like a crooked pear, with the base wide and facing the upper right, and the apex facing the lower left. Because the bottom of the heart is where large blood vessels enter and exit, it is fixed. The apex of the heart can move freely within a certain range. If you place your palm near the left nipple, you can clearly feel the apex beat.

The heart is covered by two thin and smooth membranes called the pericardium. There is a space between the layers of pericardium, called the pericardial cavity, which contains a small amount of light yellow liquid, about 20 ml, called pericardial fluid. Pericardial fluid acts as a lubricant when the heart beats, reducing friction and resistance. The pericardium is located outside the heart and its function is to protect the heart from over-expansion.

The basic structure of the heart

The heart is a hollow muscular organ located in the middle mediastinum of the chest cavity. Its shape is similar to a slightly flattened cone front and back, with the apex pointing to the lower left front, the base of the heart facing upward and back, and the long axis of the heart obliquely forming a 45-degree angle with the midline of the human body. The interior of the heart is divided into four chambers: the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle. The atrium is located in the upper part of the heart, and the ventricle is located in the lower part. The two chambers are separated by the atrial septum, and the two chambers are separated by the ventricular septum. The atria and ventricles are connected through the atrioventricular orifice; the atrioventricular orifice is attached with atrioventricular valves, the tricuspid valve between the right atrium and right ventricle, and the mitral valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. The right atrium is connected to the superior and inferior vena cavae, and the right ventricle gives rise to the pulmonary artery; the left atrium is connected to the pulmonary veins, and the left ventricle gives rise to the aorta. Blood from the whole body flows back to the right atrium through the superior and inferior vena cava, then enters the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve, and is ejected into the pulmonary artery by the right ventricle. The blood in the lungs flows back to the left atrium through the pulmonary veins, then enters the left ventricle through the mitral valve, and finally is ejected from the left ventricle into the aorta to supply tissues and organs throughout the body.