By Karen Rice
Official Kids Mag
On Valentine's Day, people
will be exchanging heart-shaped
gifts and candy. But did you know
that the human heart is actually
pear-shaped, not Valentine heart-
shaped?
February is also American
Heart Month, and a good time to
learn about your heart and ways
to keep it healthy and strong.
How your heart works
The heart is part of your
body's circulatory system. It's
made up of the atria, ventricles,
valves, and various arteries
and veins. The main function
of your heart is to keep blood
that's full of oxygen circulating
throughout your body. Because
you need your heart to survive,
it's important to keep your heart
healthy by eating good food and
getting lots of exercise.
Your heart isn't really this shape!
1
The heart is made of a very
strong muscle about the
size of your fist. This muscle
pumps blood by expanding
and contracting (getting bigger
and smaller) and that is your
heartbeat.
2
Your heartbeat is so
powerful that it could shoot
water six feet into the air.
3
Your heart will beat
about 70 times per
minute…115,000 times each
day.
4
All the blood in your body
travels through your heart
every minute…about 2,000
gallons every day.
5
Your heart has to push
blood through about 60,000
miles of blood vessels—
enough to circle the Earth two
and a half times!
6
The heart can continue
beating even when it's
disconnected from the body.
7
Ancient Egyptians believed
that a person's soul was
located in the heart. Many
cultures believed that the heart
was where emotion came from.
Fun facts
about hearts
8
The first open-
heart surgery
occurred in 1893.
It was performed by
Daniel Hale Williams,
who was one of the few
black cardiologists in the
United States at the time.
9
The youngest person to
receive heart surgery was
only a minute old. She had
a heart defect that many babies
don't survive.
10
The first successful
heart transplant
was performed in
1967. Since then, this amazing
procedure has given many people
a second chance at life.
11
The earliest known case
of heart disease was
identified in the remains
of a 3,500-year-old Egyptian
mummy.
12
The fairy fly, which is a
kind of wasp, has the
smallest heart of any
living creature.
13
Earthworms have five
hearts.
14
The American pygmy
shrew is the smallest
mammal, but it has the
fastest heartbeat at 1,200 beats
per minute.
15
Whales
have the
largest
heart of any
mammal.
sources: www.healthline.com; www.kids.brittanica.com; national Geographic Kids
16
The giraffe has a
lopsided heart, with
their left ventricle being
thicker than the right. This is
because the left side has to get
blood up the giraffe's long neck
to reach their brain.
17
Laughing is good for
your heart. It reduces
stress and gives a boost
to your immune system.
Matters
of the
heart
www.officialKidsMag.com • February 2022 • 5
