Which of the following statements about the heart is true?

Which of the following statements about the heart is true?

  1. The heart is responsible for the production of red blood cells.
  2. The heart pumps oxygenated blood to the lungs.
  3. The heart is a muscular organ that contracts to circulate blood throughout the body. ✓
  4. The heart receives blood from the kidneys and filters waste products.

Explanation

The heart is made of special cardiac muscle that never gets tired. It contracts rhythmically to pump blood through all blood vessels in your body. Each heartbeat pushes blood out to organs and tissues, then pulls blood back in to pump again.

Your heart beats about 100,000 times per day, pumping roughly 2,000 gallons of blood. The muscular walls squeeze blood into arteries with enough force to reach your toes. This continuous pumping keeps all body cells supplied with oxygen and nutrients.

Red blood cells are made in bone marrow, not the heart. The heart pumps deoxygenated blood to lungs, not oxygenated blood. Kidneys filter blood waste, while the heart just pumps blood to the kidneys. Only the muscular pumping statement accurately describes heart function.