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How does the heart pump blood?
Quick answer
The heart works as a muscular double pump: its chambers contract in a coordinated rhythm to push blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen, then around the body to deliver it — returning for another cycle. Four chambers: two atria (receive blood) and two ventricles (pump it out).
Step by step
- Four chambers: two atria (receive blood) and two ventricles (pump it out).
- The right side sends blood to the lungs; the left side pumps it to the body.
- Valves keep blood flowing one way only.
- An electrical signal sets the steady beat.
People also ask
What are the heart's chambers?
Two atria on top that receive blood and two ventricles below that pump it out.
Why does the heart have two sides?
The right side pumps blood to the lungs for oxygen; the left pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.
What makes the heart beat?
A natural electrical signal (from the sinoatrial node) triggers each coordinated contraction.
Part of the guide: How Your Body Works →