The human heart was thought since ancient times to be the seat of human emotions, with great names such as Hippocrates, Aristotle and Galen, largely agreeing with this basic principle. This association probably arose due to the fact that the heart is the central, vital, palpable organ that was most easily recognized due to its’ obvious pulsating. Surprisingly, it was not until the 17th century that the British physician Dr William Harvey’s detailed scientific description of the heart became more widely accepted and understood—the human heart consisting of four main chambers; the left and right ventricles, and left and right atriums. These are separated by four further structures; the aortic, pulmonary, mitral and tricuspid valves.
Yet even now, that age-old association of the heart with emotions is still in use. When we use the term “big heart” in everyday context we are more often talking about someones’ emotional assets rather than any medical condition that causes an enlarged heart! This is interesting because in scientific terms, the heart responds more to our emotions rather than controls them!
But going back to heart size for a moment, in whatever way you next use the term “big heart”, consider the following:
– The Blue Whale, the largest animal ever known, also has the largest heart. It’s roughly the size of a small car and can weigh up to an incredible 500 kilograms (over 1,000 pounds). If that fact astounds you, consider also that this heart beats at only 5-6 beats per minute, the slowest of any animal. It’s probably a good thing too that it doesn’t have to beat fast…..as this may cause a mini earthquake!
– The giraffe holds the crown of the largest heart of any land mammal. It’s heart is almost two feet long and can weigh over 11 kilograms (25 pounds). No wonder really, because this heart has to pump blood all the way up a very long neck, to that far away head.
– The elephant’s heart comes very close to that of a giraffe, with the other bigger land animals having a similarly proportionate heart size.
– At the opposite end of the spectrum is the tiny pygmy shrew. It’s minuscule heart manages to beat at about 20 times per second, or 1,200 per minute (slightly lower than the hummingbird, which has the highest known heart rate of any animal).
In comparison, the human heart averages about about 300 grams (well under a pound) and beats around 60-80 beats per minute. Considering the above statistics, we really can be considered to be a bunch of small hearted people!