Diane. Ritter, age 10, of Philadelphia, pa., for her question:

How much does the human heart weigh?

We say that a generous person has a big heart. But, chances are, a kind heart is no bigger than a mean one. We say that we are heavy hearted when we are sad and lighthearted when we feel happy. But the human heart does not gain weight with misery or l0se weight with joy. Your heart grows with you until you become an adult.

Right now it is about the size of your fist. When you become a grown woman it will weigh. About 9 ounces. A man's heart is somewhat larger and about 2 ounces heavier than a woman's. In most cases, the heart of a grown man is about 3.5 inches wide, 2.5 inches thick and 5 inches long. And as a rule it weighs about 11 ounces.