THE HEART

• Leonardo da Vinci gave up studying the heart because it confused him so much
• Although everyone could feel their own heart beating, it wasn't always clear what each thump was achieving
• Now we know that the heart pumps blood
• The fact that the heart pumps blood wasn't always obvious, because if a heart was exposed or taken out, the body would perish quickly
• It's impossible to see through the blood vessels, and even if that were possible, the blood itself is opaque, making it difficult to see the heart valves working
• There has been a centuries old conspiracy amongst teachers and students to accept that heart function cannot be demonstrated
• The next best thing is simply to cut the heart open and label the parts, so students might not fully grasp the way it works, but can superficially understand it
• Mammals have a figure-eight circulation, not a dual-circulation
• This confusion makes many students wary of the heart in biology lessons, thinking it signals an intimidating subject full of complicated names and diagrams
• Only those who end up studying medicine completely understand how the heart works
• Observing the heart's pumping mechanism

  1. Immerse a fresh heart in water

  2. Cut off the atria to expose the ventricles and major arteries

  3. Run water into the right ventricle and observe the valves opening and closing

  4. Squeeze the ventricle and observe the water squirting out of the pulmonary artery
• This flow of water mimics the flow of blood in life, and the valves are completely efficient, closing against each other with very little wear and tear
• Understanding how the heart works gives new resonance to the feeling you get when you run a race, drink too much caffeine or catch the eye of the one you love