What are interesting facts about the heart?

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Answer

• The heart, which weighs 9 -11 ounces in an adult, consists chiefly of muscle and can perform enough work in one hour to lift 3,000 pounds, roughly the weight of a small car, about one foot off the ground.
• Every minute, the heart pumps our entire supply of blood -- about five quarts -- through the body.
• In one day, the heart pumps nearly 2,000 gallons of blood. In a 70-year lifetime, it pumps about 51 million gallons.
• In the average lifetime, the heart beats 2.5 billion times.
• The human heart is fully developed about eight weeks after conception, when the embryo is only about one inch long. The heart actually begins to beat even earlier: about four weeks after conception.
• In ancient times, the heart was given special importance. The Chinese considered that happiness originated in the heart, and the Egyptians considered the heart to be the source of intelligence and emotion.
• The Ancient Greek physician Galen discovered in 100 A.D. that the heart set the body's blood in motion.
• Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are now the leading cause of death in the United States. More than twice as many people die from these diseases as from all forms of cancer, and more than half these deaths are by heart attacks.

It has automaticity--meaning, it beats on its own. Amazing.

First answer by ID1329932239. Last edit by Lovelylovely. Contributor trust: 4 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 12 [recommend question]