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The heart is
a muscular organ in
most animals, which pumps blood through
the blood
vessels of
the circulatory
system. Blood
provides the body with oxygen and nutrients,
as well as assisting in the
removal of metabolic
wastes.
In humans, the heart is
located between the lungs,
in the middle
compartment of
the chest. |
The heart functions as a
pump in the circulatory
system to
provide a continuous flow
of blood throughout
the body. This circulation
consists of the systemic
circulation to
and from the body and the pulmonary
circulation to
and from the lungs. Blood in
the pulmonary circulation
exchanges carbon dioxide for
oxygen in the lungs through
the process of respiration.
The systemic circulation
then transports oxygen to
the body and returns carbon
dioxide and relatively
deoxygenated blood to the
heart for transfer to the
lungs. |
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