The heart is the center of the circulatory system and acts as a pump to circulate blood throughout the body. It has four chambers - the right and left atria which receive blood, and the right and left ventricles which pump blood out of the heart. The heart has valves that ensure blood flows in only one direction, with the right side pumping deoxygenated blood to the lungs and the left side pumping oxygenated blood from the lungs to the rest of the body.