Heart and Lungs

A free interactive lesson on the heart and lungs — the heart's 4 chambers, how blood circulates, and how lungs swap oxygen for carbon dioxide at the alveoli. Class 4 Science. Includes a quick quiz.

Class 4 ScienceClass 4 / Grade 4Ages 6–9
Lesson
❤️ Heart and Lungs
Your heart beats 100,000 times every day!❤️Pumping blood to every cell in your body — never stopping!

Your heart is about the size of your fist, but it is the hardest-working muscle in your body. It beats around one hundred thousand times every single day — that is over thirty-five million beats a year — without ever stopping to rest. Every beat pumps blood around your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to every cell and removing waste. Without this non-stop pumping, your cells would die within minutes.

How does the heart pump blood?

The heart has 4 chambers. The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood from the body and passes it to the right ventricle, which pumps it to the lungs. The lungs add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. The oxygen-rich blood returns to the left atrium, then the left ventricle pumps it powerfully out to the whole body. This circuit repeats with every heartbeat.

What happens in the lungs?

Air flows into millions of tiny sacs called alveoli. Each alveolus is surrounded by blood capillaries. Oxygen from inhaled air passes through the thin alveolus wall into the blood. Carbon dioxide (waste gas) passes from the blood into the alveolus. When you exhale, carbon dioxide is expelled. This gas exchange happens every time you breathe.

Frequently asked questions

How fast does the heart beat?

An average resting heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute. During exercise it can reach 150-200 bpm. The heart beats about 100,000 times a day and about 2.5 billion times in a lifetime.

What is a pulse?

A pulse is the rhythmic expansion of an artery as blood is pushed through it by the heart. You can feel it at your wrist (radial pulse) or neck (carotid pulse) and use it to measure heart rate.

Why does exercise make you breathe faster?

During exercise, muscles need more oxygen and produce more carbon dioxide. Your brain detects the rising CO₂ levels and signals the lungs and heart to work faster to supply more oxygen and remove more waste.

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