It might be the size of a fist but the heart performs unlike any other part of the human body. Apart from pumping blood, it also provides oxygen to the blood which is then transported to the rest of the body. Did you know that the average heart beats around 80 times per minute? That makes around 42 million times a year!

If you think that is crazy and awesome, check out these facts about the human heart. You’ll be surprised.

1. Your heart hates Mondays

Statistics show that you are more likely to suffer from a heart attack on a Monday and that there is a one-in-three chance that your first heart attack will be your last. So, it might be wise not to stress yourself out once the weekend is over.

TaraWinsted/ Pexels | So now you have to be extra careful on Mondays

2. Heart tissue is expandable

When you compare the heart of an infant with the heart of an adult, you’ll see that the numbers of the cells are the same in both organs but the heart of an adult will be larger than that of an infant. This means that the heart tissues expand as you grow older.

3. Female heart is smaller and works harder

A heart that belongs to the female body is 25% smaller than that of a male counterpart. Because of the size difference, the female heart has to beat 6 times more than the male heart in order to provide the body with the blood it needs.

4. Your heart starts beating long before you are actually born

The heart develops and starts beating at around 4 weeks into the baby’s conception and thereafter, it continues to beat for the rest of your life.

Jonathan Borba/ Pexels | By the 4-week marker, most women don’t even know that they are pregnant

5. The ‘thud-thud’ sound you hear is not your heart

In reality, the sound that you hear is the sound that is made when the four valves of the heart open and close.

6. You need the heart, the heart doesn’t need you

Thanks to modern technology, scientists are able to make the heart beat outside of the body. So, although it is technically disconnected, the heart can still work but if you disconnect your body from your heart, it’s adios muchachos.

7. The first pacemaker

Fun fact: Arne Larsson received the first pacemaker in 1958 and he went on to live longer than the surgeon who performed the surgery.

Vidal Balielo Jr. /Pexels | Imagine the stakes on that surgery

So, what do you think about these super cool heart facts?

Janette Davis