23 February 2013

ANIMAL HEARTS


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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