The main difference between human heart and animal heart is that the human heart is a four-chambered, muscular organ composed of two atria and two ventricles, whereas the mammalian and bird hearts contain two atria and two ventricles, and other animals have hearts with different structures.
The human heart and animal heart are two blood-pumping organs in the body. Their primary function is to pump blood throughout the body.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Human Heart
– Definition, Structure, Function
2. What is Animal Heart
– Definition, Structure, Function
3. Similarities Between Human Heart and Animal Heart
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Human Heart and Animal Heart
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Animal Heart, Human Heart
What is Human Heart
The human heart is a four-chambered muscular organ with the size and shape of a man’s closed fist. The pericardial sac encloses the human heart. Also, the parietal membranes of the serous membrane line the pericardial sac. Additionally, the serous membrane’s visceral layer forms the epicardium. The heart wall consists of three layers of tissues. They are the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium. The epicardium is the outer layer, the myocardium is the middle layer, and the endocardium is the inner layer of the heart. Similarly, the internal cavity of the heart has four chambers. They are the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle.
Figure 1: The Human Heart
Furthermore, the two atria are thin-walled chambers. Also, they receive blood from veins. In contrast, the two ventricles are thick-walled chambers that supply blood to the body’s main arteries. The amount of myocardium present in the heart’s wall determines the wall’s thickness. In addition, the right atrium receives deoxygenated blood, while the left atrium receives oxygenated blood. Valves of the heart prevent the backflow of the blood inside the heart. There are two types of valves in the heart. The valves between the atria and ventricles are atrioventricular, while the valves at the large vessels’ base are semilunar valves.
What is Animal Heart
The animal heart is the muscular organ that pumps blood in animals. Different animals have hearts with different structures. Importantly, mammals and birds have four-chambered hearts. Their heart contains right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle. In contrast, reptiles contain three-chambered hearts. They contain two atria and one ventricle. Also, amphibians living in both land and water contain three chambered hearts with two atria and one ventricle. Salamanders contain hearts with one atrium and one ventricle. The heart of the fish also contains one atrium and one ventricle. Insects have a tube that pumps hemolymph. The heart of cockroaches contains thirteen chambers.
Figure 2: Mammal’s Heart
Moreover, the size of the heart varies between animals. The heart of the giraffe is 26 lbs. But the weight of the heart of a blue whale is 400 lbs. In contrast, the smallest heart in the world is the fairyfly’s heart. Meanwhile, dogs and wolves have big hearts. Their weight is 0.8% of their body weight.
Similarities Between Human Heart and Animal Heart
- The human and animal heart are two pumping organs that pump blood throughout the body.
- They are muscular organs.
Difference Between Human Heart and Animal Heart
Definition
The human heart refers to a muscular organ situated in the front of the chest, while the animal heart refers to the organ that serves as a pump to circulate blood in animals.
Importance
The human heart is a four-chambered, muscular organ composed of two atria and two ventricles, while mammalian and bird hearts contain two atria and two ventricles, and other animals have hearts with different structures.
Conclusion
In brief, the human and animal heart are two muscular organs that pump blood. The human heart is a four-chambered, muscular organ with two atria and two ventricles. In contrast, mammals’ and birds’ hearts are four-chambered, while other animals have different types of hearts. Therefore, the main difference between human and animal hearts is their structure.
References:
- Structure of the heart. Structure of the Heart | SEER Training. (n.d.). https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/cardiovascular/heart/structure.html
- Changiz Mohiyeddini, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Tasneem Al-quadan, & Andras N. Zsidó. (n.d.). Hearts, and the heartless, in the Animal Kingdom. Frontiers for Young Minds. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2020.540440
Image Courtesy:
- “Diagram of the human heart (cropped)” By Wapcaplet – Own work (CC-BY SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
- “Didactic model of a mammal heart 02-FMVZ USP-08” By Artturimatias – Own Work (CC-BY SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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