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ScienceSurprise 4/5Difficulty 3/5Reviewed on September 13, 2026

The human heart has a limited number of beats over a lifetime, about 2.5 billion.

Why it is true

The human heart beats about 2.5 billion times over an average 80-year life. This number is not a fixed limit, but an estimate based on average heart rate. Animals with faster metabolisms have hearts that beat more times per minute and live fewer years.

Source: Nature

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