Hearts of Different Animals: Does Cow really have four hearts?

Let me clear something first heart that I am discussing today is different from the valentines heart. We will talk about real the heart, i.e. a pumping machine responsible for circulation.

Different species have different types of hearts. Some have one while some have many. Some can row a heart if the first one fails and some do not even need one.

Among these questions, there is a popular myth that a cow has four hearts? If you also believe then stay with us till the end.

Heart

The heart is a body organ responsible for transporting blood throughout the body. It is a vital organ that helps in the transportation of oxygen in the body.

A typical heart has atria and ventricles. It transports deoxygenated blood from the body to the lungs. In addition, oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart and then the body.

The blood carries oxygen and other nutrients to various parts of the body. In addition, metabolic waste and carbon dioxide to the lungs.

Animal with Unique Heart

Two chambered hearts:

Fishes have two-chambered hearts. An atrium and a ventricle to stored oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

Three chambered hearts:

Frogs, groves have a three-chambered heart. Oxygenated blood is separated but de-oxygenated blood is not separated.

Four chamber hearts:

Humans and birds have four-chambered hearts. These chambers help to keep de-oxygenated blood and oxygenated blood separate.

Weight

While a human’s heart weighs around 0.3kg, a giraffe’s heart weighs 12 kg…oh if this looks heavy to you then hold your heart as here comes….

A whale has a heart weighing around 430 kg. It is the size of a small car. Well, this is justified as to circulate blood in a body equivalent to two buses needs a small car-sized heart.

Micro-size Heart

Fairyflies have a tiny heart that is not visible to the naked eyes.

Re-grow Heart

Zebrafish has a regenerative heart, which heals and regenerates itself to a fully functional one.

Animals with more than one heart

Octopus

Octopus has three hearts, one to pump their blood and the other two to pump blood to their gills. Similarly, squids also have three hearts.

Horses

Yes, do not get surprised, a horse has one heart with four hearts like organs. At the bottom of each foot, there is a special organ known as the frog. This frog acts as a blood reservoir.

Heartless

Earthworms do not need a heart. They have 5 pseudo-hearts that squeeze vessels to circulate blood. Moreover, oxygen is absorbed by his skin.

Do Cows Have Four Hearts?

A cow does not have four hearts or four stomachs. Instead, they have a four-chambered stomach.

Four chambered Stomach of a Cow

A cow’s stomach has four chambers: Rumen, Reticulum, Omasum, and Abomasum.

A cow does not chew its food thoroughly. This food gets collected in the rumen. It breaks down hard foods like grass by mixing them with microbes, enzymes, and digestive juices.

Then it passes to the next chamber reticulum. This chamber is also called a honeycomb due to its structure. It traps all kinds of unwanted materials.

Moreover, here the food mixes with the salvia to form cud. The cows regurgitate this cud and chew them properly. Then the food goes back in Rumen and then reticulum.

In this reticulum, the food is broken even into smaller bits and passed to the third chamber.

The omasum further breaks down the food and separates it from water.

Finally, the next abomasum’s final digestion takes place. Here essential nutrients are absorbed and excess is sent through the intestines.

Conclusion

So was it an interesting hearty article? Different animals have their unique heart but one thing remains the same. A heart is a muscular organ responsible for blood circulation.

Moreover, next time you see a cow remember to feed it as it has four stomachs to fill in.