H brings us some of the most vital words in the body. Your heart beats around 100,000 times a day, your hippocampus helps you form new memories, and your hands let you write, build and hold. Smaller H parts, like the hypothalamus, quietly keep your whole body in balance.
Here are more than 20 human body parts that start with H, grouped by body system, each with a short and accurate explanation.
Quick List: Body Parts That Start With H
| Hair | Heel | Humerus |
| Hair follicles | Hepatic portal vein | Hyoid bone |
| Hamate | Hip | Hypodermis |
| Hamstrings | Hippocampus | Hypothalamus |
| Hand | Hymen | Hypothenar eminence |
| Hard palate | Head | Heart |
| Heart valves | Hallux |
Brain and Head
Head: The top part of the body, holding the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth. It is supported by the neck, which lets it nod and turn.
Hippocampus: A curved, seahorse-shaped structure deep in each temporal lobe of the brain. It is essential for turning new experiences into long-term memories and for finding your way around. It is one of the first areas affected in Alzheimer’s disease.
Hypothalamus: A small region at the base of the brain, about the size of an almond. It controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep cycles and many hormones, partly by directing the pituitary gland just below it.
Hard palate: The bony front part of the roof of the mouth. It separates the mouth from the nasal cavity and gives the tongue a firm surface to press against when you speak and swallow.
Hyoid bone: A small U-shaped bone in the front of the neck, just above the voice box. It is the only bone in the body that does not connect directly to another bone; it is held in place by muscles and ligaments and supports the tongue.
Heart and Circulation
Heart: A muscular organ about the size of a fist, sitting in the chest between the lungs and slightly to the left. It has four chambers and pumps blood through the body around 60 to 100 times a minute at rest.
Heart valves: Four one-way valves (tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral and aortic) that keep blood flowing in the right direction through the heart. The “lub-dub” sound of a heartbeat is made by these valves closing.
Hepatic portal vein: A large vein that carries blood rich in nutrients from the stomach, intestines and spleen to the liver, so the liver can process those nutrients before the blood returns to the heart.
Bones and Joints
Humerus: The long bone of the upper arm, running from the shoulder to the elbow. The “funny bone” feeling comes from the ulnar nerve near its lower end, not from the bone itself.
Hip: The ball-and-socket joint where the head of the thigh bone (femur) fits into the cup-shaped acetabulum of the pelvis. It carries the weight of the upper body and allows the leg to move in many directions.
Hamate: One of the eight small wrist bones (carpals), on the little-finger side. It has a hook-like projection that can break in sports involving a bat, club or racket.
Heel: The back of the foot, formed by the calcaneus, the largest bone in the foot. It takes the first impact of each step when walking.
Hallux: The medical name for the big toe. It has two bones, while the other toes usually have three.
Muscles, Hands and Limbs
Hand: The end of the arm beyond the wrist. Each hand has 27 bones, counting the wrist, plus dozens of muscles, tendons and ligaments that allow both a strong grip and precise movements.
Hypothenar eminence: The fleshy pad on the little-finger side of the palm. Its three small muscles move the little finger.
Hamstrings: Three muscles at the back of the thigh: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. They bend the knee and straighten the hip, and they are often strained in sprinting sports.
Skin, Hair and Reproductive System
Hair: Thin strands made of keratin that grow from the skin almost everywhere except the palms, soles and lips. Hair helps keep the body warm, protects the scalp from sunlight and makes the skin more sensitive to touch.
Hair follicles: Tiny pockets in the skin where hairs grow. Each one has a small oil gland and a tiny muscle that makes the hair stand up, producing goosebumps.
Hypodermis: The deepest layer of the skin, below the dermis. It is made mostly of fat and connective tissue, which insulate the body, store energy and attach the skin to the muscles beneath.
Hymen: A thin, flexible membrane that partly covers the opening of the vagina. Its shape varies greatly from person to person.
Common Mix-Ups to Avoid
- Hypothalamus vs. thalamus: The thalamus relays sensory signals to the cortex; the hypothalamus, just below it, controls temperature, hunger and hormones.
- Hippocampus vs. hypothalamus: The hippocampus is about memory; the hypothalamus is about keeping the body’s systems in balance.
- Humerus vs. “funny bone”: The tingling comes from the ulnar nerve, which runs past the humerus at the elbow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which organ starts with H?
The heart is the best-known organ that starts with H. The hypothalamus is a key part of the brain.
Which bone starts with H?
The humerus, hamate and hyoid bone all start with H. The hallux (big toe) contains bones too.
What are easy H body parts for kids?
Head, hair, hand, heart, heel and hip are simple words that children can learn and point to.
Conclusion
From the heart that keeps you alive to the hippocampus that stores your memories, the letter H covers some of the body’s most important parts. Learning them by body system makes them easier to remember and shows how they work together.
Continue the series with body parts that start with G and body parts that start with I.
This article is for general education only and is not medical advice. If you have a health concern, please talk to a doctor.
