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The Heart As A Pump

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Basic Physiology
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Abstract

The heart, a hollow, muscular organ about the size of an adult clenched fist, weighs 10 to 12 oz (160 grams) in adult males and 8 to 10 oz in females. It is located in the thoracic cavity in the space between the lungs. Most of the heart lies just to the left of the midline of body (Fig. 15.1). It consists of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. The atria are thin walled, the ventricles much thicker, particularly the left ventricle, which is the high-pressure chamber.

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© 1981 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Sturkie, P.D. (1981). The Heart As A Pump. In: Sturkie, P.D. (eds) Basic Physiology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8081-8_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8081-8_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-8083-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-8081-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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