The human heart—actually a muscle that is located beneath the sternum, or the upper left side of a person’s torso—is about the size of a clenched fist. On the average, the human heart beats about seventy to seventy-five times per minute (resting) and pumps about five quarts (just over five liters) of blood per minute. Within the heart, two atria receive blood from the body cells, while two ventricles pump blood out of the heart.