IntroductionThe heart is an extraordinary structure that is the basis of all human life. However, this is similar to the simple functions of water pumps. When the heart beats, blood is distributed throughout the body through a network of blood vessels. The functions of the heart can be maintained in regular and healthy conditions through exercise. Exercise has an effect on the blood circulating in the body. This circulating blood causes the heart to desire more oxygen, causing the heart rate to rapidly increase to meet the demand for activity. History of the Heart The science and history of the heart dates back to the fourth century BC Greek philosopher Aristotle, who declared the heart to be the most vital organ in the body, based on observations of chicken embryos. In the second century AD, similar ideas were later reestablished in an article written by Galen entitled On the Usefulness of Parts of the Body. Galen's thesis was that the heart was the source of the body's essential heat and was most closely related to the soul. Galen also carefully observed the physical properties of the heart. He said: “The heart is hard flesh, difficult to hurt. In hardness, tension, general strength, and resistance to injury, the fibers of the heart far surpass all others, for no other instrument does so continuous and hard work as the heart” (Galen, Volume 1). Additionally, Aristotle and Galen These theories contributed to the revival of cardiac anatomy during the Renaissance. 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) and two atria (upper chamber that... middle of paper ...... and curiosity to seek more knowledge about what has not yet been discovered.Works CitedCitations http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/exercise.Np,ndWeb.14 Mar.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.texashartinstitute.org/HIC/anatomy/Anatomy.cfm.Np,ndWeb.March 13, 2014 http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/exercise.Np,ndWeb.March 18, 2014 http:/ /my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/heart-blood-vessels/heart-facts.aspx.Np,ndWeb.March 13, 2014 https://www.stanford.edu/class/history13/earlysciencelab/body/heartpages/heart. html. Np, ndWeb.March 17, 2014Galen, (nd). : Cornell University Press. Retrieved March 25, 2014