The heart is a fascinating organ! It fuels our lives- both physically and emotionally. The heart, in its most basic description, is an organ that pumps blood throughout the body. It is a STEM topic for sure, but science isn’t the only place where the heart gets mentioned. The Art world also uses the heart to show their emotion. It is one of the few organs that is used very often both in STEM and in Art- making it a STEAM organ. 

STEM

The heart is an incredibly important organ, and helps keep our body functioning like it should. The four main functions of our heart are:

• pumping oxygenated (oxygen rich) blood throughout the body

• Pumping hormones and other important nutrients throughout the body

• Carrying deoxygenated (oxygen poor) blood to the lungs to get more oxygen, and carrying waste products to the proper organs for disposal

• Maintaining blood pressure- the pressure, or force, within your blood vessels

The structure of the heart helps with these important functions. Now, if you asked most people to draw the structure of the heart they would probably draw the well-known cartoon drawing of a heart we see in the top right photograph. The actual structure of the heart, however, is a bit more complicated than that. The heart has four chambers- spaces that blood flows through to move to the lungs or to the body. These chambers are called the atria and the ventricles. The atria, one left and one right, are the top two chambers; the ventricles, one left and one right, are the bottom two chambers. 

The heart also has four valves- flaps between the different sections to keep blood flowing in the right direction. Between the left atrium and ventricle there is a valve, called the mitral valve. The right side has the tricuspid valve separating its atrium and ventricle. Between the right ventricle and the path to the lungs lives the pulmonary valve, and between the left ventricle and the path to the rest of the body lives the aortic valve. These valves open and shut to allow blood to keep its natural flow, and keep it from flowing backwards. 

Blood has a natural flow through the heart. When it’s deoxygenated, it flows from the body into the right atrium, down to the right ventricle, and over to the lungs. Once it’s oxygenated, it flows into the left atrium, down to the left ventricle, and then out to the body to deliver oxygen to the cells. This flow allows oxygenated blood to flow from the heart to the body, and deoxygenated blood to flow from the body to the heart. The vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart are called arteries (arteries = away). In photos, these vessels are usually colored red. The vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart are called veins, and are usually colored blue in photos. Now, blood doesn’t turn blue when it loses its oxygen; it stays red at all times. When it’s oxygenated, it’s a brighter red color; when deoxygenated, it’s just a darker shade of red, never blue. 

For a more in-depth view of how blood flows through the heart, check out the video in the link below:

ARTS

The heart isn’t just used in the context of scientific purposes though. The structure of a heart itself is a work of art. The way the chambers are combined, the complex framework of the veins and arteries all over the body. The cardiovascular system itself is like a sculpture within our skin. 

Beyond the realm of science, and the physical structure of the heart and it’s vessels, the heart is like an artistic beacon of creativity. The heart often comes up in artwork, and in different expressions. Every year in February, hearts are being drawn for our friends and family, to show them how much we care about them. Expressions like “put your heart and soul into it” or “having a change of heart” are often used to express passion in one’s work or a change in someone's thinking. 

We link the heart with passion, with drive, with emotion; we use it as a measure of how much of yourself you put into your work. Without heart, without passion, our artistic works become lifeless and boring. The heart is linked to one of the strongest emotions out there- love. When you love something, you hold it in the highest esteem. You value and treasure that person, object, creation with all that you have and are. Heart, and love, drive us to pursue our dreams. They drive us to go after what we truly want, and never stop until we reach our goals. 

In the art world, we allow our heart to guide us in whatever subject we have passion in. People use what’s deep in their heart to create true masterpieces. Many pieces of art are made from the passion inside someone’s heart. People use heartbreak to write the most amazing poems and stories. We think of lost loves and joyful memories to create that perfect happy ending, or that timeless painting. Your heart plus art can create true visions, as long as you listen to what it’s trying to tell you.

The heart may physically be just an organ in your chest, but when you look at it you see it’s so much more than that. It is a beautifully crafted organ that keeps us alive not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, creatively. It feeds both our physical side with oxygen, and our creative side with passion and emotion. 

The heart is truly a work of art.

References

Healthblog.uofmhealth.org. 2021. Anatomy of a Human Heart. [online] Available at: <https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/heart-health/anatomy-of-a-human-heart> [Accessed 11 January 2021].

MedicineNet. 2021. What Are the Four Main Functions of the Heart?. [online] Available at: <https://www.medicinenet.com/what_are_the_four_main_functions_of_the_heart/article.htm> [Accessed 13 January 2021].

Science Questions with Surprising Answers. 2021. Why are veins blue?. [online] Available at: <https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2012/12/18/why-are-veins-blue/> [Accessed 15 January 2021].

Training.seer.cancer.gov. 2021. Structure of the Heart | SEER Training. [online] Available at: <https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/cardiovascular/heart/structure.html> [Accessed 15 January 2021].