Year 6 investigated the anatomy of the heart this week in science. We dissected some pig hearts to investigate the 4 chambers of the heart, the valves and the different blood vessels.

We were able to identify the aorta, superior vena cava and the pulmonary artery and were able to put our fingers into these to investigate where they led to.

When we cut the heart open, we were able to identify the 4 chambers of the heart – the atria and the ventricles. We observed that the walls of the left ventricle were much thicker than the other chambers as this is the chamber responsible for pushing the blood all around the body so it needs to be strong.

We also identified the valves that separate the atrium from the ventricle on each side of the heart.

It was really interesting to see all of the intricate parts of the heart – including the heart strings (chordae tendineae) which hold the valves in place while the heart is pumping blood.