What is the primary function of the heart?

The primary function of the heart is to pump blood and deliver oxygen to tissues. This crucial role ensures that all cells in the body receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly, while also facilitating the removal of carbon dioxide and other metabolic waste products. The heart achieves this through its rhythmic contractions, which propel blood through a vast network of arteries and veins, continuously circulating it throughout the body.

While filtering toxins from the blood is an essential function, this task is primarily carried out by the kidneys. Regulation of body temperature is managed by the hypothalamus and other systems, rather than the heart itself, and controlling respiratory rate is primarily influenced by the brainstem and chemoreceptors responding to carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Therefore, the heart's main responsibility remains focused on the vital task of pumping blood, which underpins most physiological functions in the body.