Guide To The Structure Of The Heart

Located in the upper portion of the chest, the heart sits behind the breastbone and is responsible for pumping blood throughout the entire body. A healthy heart is roughly the size of a fist, and it usually beats between sixty to one hundred beats each minute. Over twenty-four hours, the heart circulates up to two thousand gallons of blood around the body. The typical weight for the adult heart is between seven to fifteen ounces. To evaluate a patient's heart health, doctors often begin by measuring the patient's heart rate.