Introduction to the Heart

What do you think of when you see a heart: strong emotions of love and affection or the throbbing pulse in your neck?

When a biologist sees a heart, she thinks of the important biological functions that the heart performs. Although it is only a little bigger than a fist, the heart is capable of pumping enough blood to fill the gas tanks of 100 minivans each day. Each beat provides the organs within the body the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly.

Learn more about the heart:

• Biology of the heart: what is the heart and how does it beat?
• Heart injury: how the heart tissue can be harmed and heart attacks.
• Modern treatments: medication, heart transplants and the ventricular assist device.
• Regenerative Medicine in the heart: how doctors are studying to use stem cells to heal an injured heart.
• Additional Resources: more on-line resources about the heart.