Heart Facts for Kids

A Picture of the human heart
  • Organ Name: Heart
  • Organ Location: Middle of the chest
  • Organ System: Circulatory system
  • Organ Purpose: Pump blood throughout the body
  • Organ Weight: Between 9 and 12 ounces
  • Organ Length: 3.5 inches (average)

26 Heart Facts for Kids

  1. The human heart is the main component of the human body’s circulatory system.
  2. The heart pumps blood through the human body via blood vessels.
  3. The heart is in the middle compartment of the chest, between the lungs.
  4. A healthy, adult human heart is about the size of a human fist.
  5. A healthy, adult human heart will weigh between 9 and 12 ounces.
  6. A healthy, adult human heart is on average 5 inches in length, 3.5 inches wide and about 2.5 inches thick.
  7. The human heart is made up of four chambers.
  8. The four chambers of the human heart are the left atria, the right atria, the left ventricle and the right ventricle.
  9. The two atria chambers are the upper receiving chambers.
  10. The left atria chamber brings in oxygenated blood from the lungs, while the right atria chamber brings in deoxygenated blood from the venae cavae veins.
  11. The two ventricle chambers are the lower discharging chambers.
  12. The left ventricle chamber pumps oxygenated blood into the circulatory system, while the right ventricle chamber pumps deoxygenated blood into the lungs.
  13. The human heart beats around 100,000 times a day or pumping around 2,000 gallons of blood per day.
  14. Your heart rate, also known as your pulse, is how many times your heart beats per minute.
  15. When a doctor or nurse checks your pulse, they’re checking your current bpm.
  16. The acronym “bpm” stands for beats per minute. This is how many times your heart beats in a 60 second period.
  17. The phrase “resting heart rate” refers to your bpm when you’re not exercising and calm.
  18. The resting heart rate of an average adult is between 60 to 100 bpm.
  19. The resting heart rate of an infant can be as high as 129 bpm.
  20. The study of heart disorders and diseases is called cardiology, and someone who studies cardiology is called a cardiologist.
  21. A heart transplant (cardiac transplant) is when the heart from one human (organ donor) is removed and surgically placed into another human (transplant recipient).
  22. There are an estimated 3,500 heart transplants worldwide each year and the average person survives up to 15 years.
  23. Heart disease is the number one cause of deaths worldwide according to World Health Organization (WHO).
  24. A heart attack is a serious condition in which an artery that is supplying blood to your heart becomes blocked.
  25. Cardiovascular exercise, also known simply as cardio, is a great way to keep your heart healthy and prevent many different types of heart disease.
  26. A few examples of cardiovascular exercise are brisk walking, riding a bike, running and swimming.

Additional Resources on the Human Heart

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