Hearts, and the Heartless, in the Animal Kingdom

Abstract

We all take our hearts for granted: the fascinating organ inside everyone that beats continuously to keep blood pumping through our bodies. Blood flow ensures that oxygen, nutrients from food, hormones, and waste products get to the correct cells. The heart is essential for keeping humans and most animals alive. Hearts are even more interesting when we examine what they do, how they look, how they work, and the similarities and differences in the hearts of species across the planet. Is a giraffe heart similar to a human heart? Which animal survives despite having no heart? Can a heart really beat over times a minute? From dinosaurs to insects, humans to dogs, this paper looks at what is really happening on the inside, exploring the world of heart anatomy.