How does the heart pump, what provides its energy source?

Question

I could understand it if it was plugged into the mains but it seems to have a life of its own

Answer 1

"The heart is a very unique organ. Essentially it is a pump and is made up of a special type of muscle called cardiac muscle. This type of muscle differs from skeletal muscle in that it has a built-in nerve supply that sends out messages for contraction. This is controlled by a center, in the upper chamber of the heart, called the SA Node. The SA Node sends out a message that spreads throughout the heart muscle and signals the heart to contract, or beat and pump. It may do this independently of the rest of the nervous system. This is why our heart beats automatically many times a minute."

From teengrowth.com

Answer 2

There are two kinds of muscles , one voluntary and another

non-voluntary. The voluntary muscles move or work when we want them to.For example our legs,hands, etc. On the other hand, non-voluntary muscles are those that work on their own even if we dont want them to.The muscles that works the heart are non-voluntary.And they regularly work and help the heart pump.

And about what is it's energy source, it's the same source that you use to do other works.And those energy are stored in the mitochondrias in each cell.

And do you know heart muscles are the strongest of all muscles.

Answer 3

The heart works independently on itwself, with the help of its own pacemaker. These are two nodes, the sino-atrial node (SAN) and the atrio-ventricular node(AVN). SAN sends out an electrical impulse which runs through the median septum and the cardiac walls. This then reaches the atrio-ventricular node which receives the signal and the current it produces makes the heart muscles contract.

But then, you may ask where does this electric charge come from, since energy cannot be destroyed, nor can it be created. This energy comes from the metabolism of food. Thus, your heart will still continue pumping in a solution of NaCl and C6H12O6.

Answer 4

your boo!

Answer 5

I think it pumps as we take air into our lungs, once the air is there is needs to come out and due to this you get a vaccum that makes the air go in and out therefore the heart does this.

We did a test in science where you had a heart (yuck) and blew into the tube. It pumped and came alive.

Sorry this answer isn't very clever and scientific but I think this is right.

Hope I helped! x

Answer 6

The heart is made of muscle, when this muscle contracts in a specific way (cardiac cycle) blood is forced out of the heart. The heart carries on pumping by itself as the muscle of the heart is "myogenic", which means it can contract and relax without any stimulus from the brain, although the brain can increase and decrease heart rate.

The enerfy source for the contraction of the heart muscle is ATP from respiration.  

Answer 7

The heart is sent signals from the brain to pump and the brain is active because of the blood flow to it. It is all a cycle.  

Answer 8

An electric current is sent from the SA node to the AV node, which in turn causes the heart muscle to contract. When certain heart conditions arise, like irregular heart beats, a pacemaker can be inserted, taking over the job of the SA & AV nodes.

Answer 9

It's like a constant twitch... It's a cardiac muscle so it's kind of like an endurance muscle that doesn't tire out because it's get's plenty of oxygen and energy from the coronary arteries surrounding it to keep it going until you die, pretty much...

Answer 10

It uses the same source of energy that everything else in your body does - the food you consume.

Answer 11

the heart is a muscle. Like all muscles in the human body, it is powered by sugars, nerve signals and oxygen. (depending on which sort of "powering" you mean"

Answer 12

When you eat food it has energy the number ending with Kj

the pancreas sends insulin to make it glycogen which is stored as fat and when body needs energy it releases gluecocon  which coverts the glycogen back to energy,

Answer 13

The heart pumps by compressing.  When it compresses, the blood that is inside it is forced out, and around your body, while is is expanding it fills up with blood at the other end, so to speak.  This is made possible by the shape of the valves.  I can't think of an analogy right now, sorry.