Monday, February 7, 2011

Body Systems: Cardiovascular System: Beat Your Heart

How much work does your heart really do?  The numbers are quite staggering... figure them out for yourself.

Part I: How many heartbeats in your lifetime?
Determine your pulse: count the number of beats in 15 seconds.

Multiply by 4 to get the number of beats her minute.  (Average is between 70 and 90).

Now, use that number to determine how many times your heart will beat, assuming an average lifespan of 78 years.

Part II: How Much Blood?
1/4 cup (2 oz.) of blood is pumped per contraction.  Using the number of beats per minute you calculated above, determine how much blood is pumped in one minute.  (Average is 20 cups = 5 quarts).

How many quarts of blood are pumped in a day?

How many gallons are pumped in a day?

Remember: 4 cups = 1 quart; 4 quarts = 1 gallon

Part III: How Much Does Your Blood Weigh?
About 10% of your weight is blood.

How many pounds of blood are in your body?

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