Here are a few comparisons of heart weight and performance, in order from smaller to larger species ~ note that heart weight increases and beats per minute (bpm) decreases with the size of the creature.
Hummingbirds
- weight 0.0035 lb.
- rate 6000 bpm
- weight 0.001035 lb.
- rate 1300 bpm
- weight 1 lb.
- rate 120 ~ 250 bpm within seconds, allowing acceleration from 0-40 mph in 3 strides
- weight 25 lb.
- rate 65 bpm
- multiple arterial valves in their necks, and the highest blood pressure of any mammal ~ 280/180 mm mercury
- weight 26-46 lb.
- rate 30 bpm
Blue Whales (image above)
- weight 1,300 lb.
- rate 7 bpm
- largest mammal on Earth (>100 ft. long), heart pumps 7 tons of blood
So where do we fit in?
- weight 0.8 lb.
- rate 70 bpm
- during an 80 year lifespan, your heart will beat roughly 100,000 times per day, or 2.8 billion times overall
Comparisons courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation.
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