Piggy Heart!
The dissection of any heart never seems to be quite as appealing as one may think, however this one was pretty dang snazzy!!! The smell was unbelievable strong, but after the initial shock its easy to ignore as you start to slice through the ventricles and atriums it all became an exciting new adventure. In this lab we had the choice to choose between a sheep, pig, or cow heart. Logan and I decided to choose a pig heart, the reason being that it wasn't to small like the sheep and wasn't terribly large like the cow heart either. But boy were we wrong our pig heart must have been one large mass of pig. Our heart was larger in diameter then the cow heart! I suppose that is just one of the things that made this heart all the more interesting!
These three images are those of the pig heart that Logan and I dissected. As you can see the interior structure is as complex as one may think. As blood flows through the heart it enters the right atrium of your heart from the superior and inferior vena cava. From the right atrium, blood is pumped into the right ventricle. From the right ventricle, blood is pumped to your lungs through the pulmonary artery. Oxygen-rich blood comes in from your lungs through the pulmonary veins into your heart's left atrium. From the left atrium, the blood is pumped into the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps the blood to the rest of your body through the aorta. For the heart to work properly, your blood must flow in only one direction. Your heart's valves make this possible. Both of your heart's ventricles have an "in" valve from the atria and an "out" valve leading to your arteries. Healthy valves open and close in coordination with the pumping action of your heart's atria and ventricles. Each valve has a set of flaps that seal or open the valves. This allows pumped blood to pass through the chambers and into your arteries without backing up or flowing backward. 
Your heart is placed just under your ribcage in the center of your chest. Your heart rests just between your left and right lungs, which is why there function are so intertwined with one another. The heart beats against its surrounding components and thus, pumps blood thorughout 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 most often is the size of a clenched fist. Some diseases of the heart can cause it to become larger. Just recently we watched a movie about enlarged hearts being REDUCED! Enlarged heart procedures are difficlut, but can be done! The major parts of the heart are the left and right atrium and left and right ventricles. Some of the main blood vessels arteries and veins that make up your blood circulatory system are directly connected to your heart.
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