A sheep heart is nearly identical to a human heart in size and structure. It possesses the same four chambers you’re likely already familiar with, which continuously fill and pump out blood to ensure that oxygen is always circulating in a sheep’s bloodstream.
As you dissect a sheep heart, however, you can locate a few differences in their structure. Recall that deoxygenated blood enters the heart through two great vessels, namely the superior (top) and inferior (bottom) vena cava. For sheep, instead of an inferior great vessel, they have a posterior vena cava connected to the back of the heart.
Sheep share the mammalian heart plan, with two atria and two ventricles. The chambers on the right side work to oxygenate blood, while those on the left side pump the blood back into the bloodstream. As many people enjoy sheep for meals, sheep hearts can be great models to learn about your own heart’s anatomy, being fairly accurate and readily-available.