Question

How does the heart function as a double pump?

Answer 1

Hint: The heart is a vital organ which pumps blood and makes it available to all the parts of the body. Double pump refers to the pumping of blood in the heart which happens two times- once during the pulmonary circulation, and the other during the systemic circulation.

Complete answer:
The heart is a muscular organ that serves as a pump to circulate the blood. It is located just behind the breastbone. The heart is slightly tilted to the left side. The heart pumps blood through the network of arteries and veins. This as a whole is called the cardiovascular system. The heart is divided into four chambers- upper left and right auricles and lower left and right ventricles.

Blood carries oxygen and numerous different substances around the body. Oxygen from the blood reacts with glucose in somatic cells to make energy. The waste product of this cycle is carbon dioxide, which is diverted from cells in the blood. The heart is a solitary organ, however, it goes acts as a double pump. The deoxygenated blood enters the right auricle by vena cava and is pumped into the right ventricle. The deoxygenated blood in the right ventricle is pumped into the pulmonary artery and is carried to the lungs, where the deoxygenated blood is converted to oxygenated blood. Now the oxygenated blood enters the left auricle by pulmonary vein and is pumped into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then pushes the blood into the aorta which carries the oxygenated blood to the body parts. This is the second pump. In one day the heart pumps all the blood around the body around 1000 times.

Note: The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs and the left ventricle pumps blood all around the body. The pumping of blood results in closing and opening of the heart valves which produce the “lub” and “dub” sounds of the heart.