IntroductionThe heart is an extraordinary structure that is the basis of all human life. However, it is similar to the simple functions of water pumps. As the heart beats, blood is distributed throughout the body using a network of blood vessels. Heart functions can be maintained in regular and healthy condition through exercise. Exercise has an effect on the blood that circulates through the body. Circulating blood causes the heart to crave more oxygen, causing the heart rate to rapidly increase to keep up with the demand for activity. History of the Heart The science and history of the heart can be traced back to the 4th century BC Greek philosopher, Aristotle. declared that the heart is the most vital organ in the body based on the observation of chick embryos. In the 2nd century AD, similar ideas were later re-established in a piece written by Galen entitled On the Utility of Parts of the Body. Galen's thesis was that the heart was the source of the body's essential heat and was closely related to the soul. Galen also made careful observations of the physical properties of the heart. He said: “The heart is tough flesh, not easily wounded. In hardness, tension, in general strength and resistance to injury, the fibers of the heart far surpass all others, for no other instrument performs such continuous and hard work as the heart” (Galen, Volume 1). Furthermore, Aristotle and Galen's theories contributed to the Renaissance revival of the anatomy of the heart. This awakening allowed doctors to indicate the fundamental disposition of the heart. It became commonly accepted that the heart was divided into four parts: two ventricles (lower chambers that pump blood out) and two pinnae (upper chamber that r...... center of paper ...... and the curiosity to seek more knowledge of what has not yet been discovered Works CitedCitations http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/exercise.Np,ndWeb.14 March 2014 http://www.uhs.umich. .edu/ caffeine.Np,ndWeb.March 18, 2014 http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/Target-Heart-Rates_UCM_434341_Article.jsp.Np,ndWeb.March 17, 2014 http://www.texasheartinstitute .org/HIC/anatomy/Anatomy.cfm.Np,ndWeb.13 March 2014 http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/exercise.Np,ndWeb.18 March 2014 http://my .org/heart/heart-blood-vessels/heart-facts.aspx.Np,ndWeb.13 March 2014 https://www.stanford.edu/class/history13/earlysciencelab/body/heartpages/heart.html. ndWeb.17 March 2014Galen, (n.d.).On the Utility of the Body (M. Tallmadge May, trans.). Retrieved March 25, 2014