Anatomy of the Heart

Your heart is located under your ribcage in the center of your 

chest between your right and left lungs. Its muscular walls 

beat, or contract, pumping blood to all parts of your body.

The size of your heart can vary depending on your age, size, 

and the condition of your heart. A normal, healthy, adult 

heart usually is the size of an average clenched adult fist. 

Some diseases can cause the heart to enlarge.

The Exterior of the Heart

Below is a picture of the outside of a normal, healthy, human 

heart.

Heart Exterior

In figure B, the heart is the muscle in the lower half of the 

picture. The heart has four chambers. The heart's upper 

chambers, the right and left atria (AY-tree-uh), are shown in 

purple. The heart's lower chambers, the right and left 

ventricles (VEN-trih-kuls), are shown in red.

Some of the main blood vessels (arteries and veins) that 

make up your circulatory system are directly connected to the  

heart.