Introduction

Abstract

In this chapter, we briefly outline the basic preliminary information about the heart as a pump in the blood circulatory system, its structure, and major component systems. The material presented here is a series of short excerpts from A.C. Guyton and J.E. Hall’s “Textbook of Medical Physiology” [1], which is meant to introduce readers without biological background to the basic terminology, definitions and functions of the heart systems as part of the whole organ. We will look at additional physiological information in greater depth in later chapters.

Here we also emphasize that heart arrhythmias and fibrillation continue to be dangerous heart diseases, the mechanisms of which have not been clearly understood until recently. Mathematical modeling and computer simulations are characterized as modern tools for scientific research in this area.