Structural and Functional Differences Between Left and Right Ventricles
Human heart is the major organ involved in the double circulatory system and it is called double because here, the blood passes through the heart twice per circuit. The left pump sends the fresh oxygenated blood around the body and on the other hand, the right pump sends deoxygenated blood to the lungs where it becomes oxygenated and flows back to the heart.
Thus, oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in human beings are separately flowing and makes the circulatory system more efficient which also helps in maintaining the constant temperature of the body. Below are the four heart chambers that have important roles in the double circulation in human beings; we can observe from the following the difference between the functions of the left and right ventricles.
Left Atrium: Receives oxygenated blood from lungs which contain oxygen.
Right Atrium: It receives deoxygenated blood that contains CO₂ as the byproduct of metabolism.
Left Ventricle: It also receives oxygenated blood coming from the left atrium via a bi-cuspid valve.
Right Ventricle: It receives deoxygenated blood consisting of CO₂ from the right atrium via the tricuspid valve.
Human Heart consists of four chambers consisting of an auricle and ventricle. Ventricles are of two types, namely, left and right ventricle occupying two chambers; auricles or atrium is also of two types, namely, left atrium and right atrium.
A ventricle is part of our heart and it is one of the two large chambers located towards the bottom of the heart. Its function is to collect and expel blood that is received from an atrium towards the peripheral beds within the lungs and body.
To know about the atrium or auricle, it is an adjacent upper heart chamber that primes the pumping and it is smaller and has thinner muscular walls than a ventricle.
All these four chambers are parts of the circulatory system of our body which is helpful in supplying nutrients and oxygen to the body tissues and organs. It will also be helpful in removing body wastes and carbon dioxide from the body.
In this article, we will discuss the left ventricle and right ventricle and the differences between the right and left ventricles of the heart.
(Image will be Uploaded Soon)
Structure of the Ventricles
Ventricles have thicker walls than the atria and are known to generate higher blood pressures. The physiological load on the ventricles is much greater to pump the blood throughout the body and lungs as compared to the pressure generated by the atria to fill the ventricles.
Further, the left ventricle is known to have thicker walls than the right ventricle and it is helpful in pumping blood to almost all parts of the body whereas the right ventricles fill only the lungs.
Ventricles have irregular muscular columns called trabeculae carnage on the inner walls and these cover all of the inner ventricular surfaces except the right ventricle’s conus arteriosus.
According to magnetic resonance imaging, the mass of the left ventricle is estimated to be 143 g where 38.4 g is variable.
The right and left ventricles are equal in size and comprise roughly 85 milliliters in the adult. Its upper surface can be found circular and convex and the under surface is flattened.
Ventricular bulges into the right ventricle where a transverse section of the cavity presents a semilunar outline.
There is a tendinous band known as the tendon of the conus arteriosus that extends upward from the right atrioventricular fibrous ring. The ring mentioned here connects the posterior surface of the band to the aorta.
Shape of the Left and Right Ventricles
The left ventricle is lengthier and more conical in shape than the right ventricle, and on the transverse section, its concavity presents an oval or nearly circular outline. It is a considerable part of the heart’s diaphragmatic surface and it forms a small part of the sternocostal surface; it also forms the apex of the heart.
The left ventricle is thicker and muscular as compared to the right ventricle because it pumps blood at a higher pressure.
The right ventricle is triangular in shape and it extends from the tricuspid valve in the right atrium to near the apex of the heart. Its wall is found thickest at the apex and thin towards its base at the atrium.
Conclusion
The left and right ventricle is a very important chapter in Biology. Students should keep in mind to cover this topic without any doubts because questions might be given regarding this chapter in exams. So, it is recommended to have a clear idea of this chapter. In order to ace this chapter, we at Vedantu have some tips to which the student can keep in their mind. These points might help the students to have the chapter cleared easily.
FAQs on Difference Between the Left and Right Ventricle of the Heart
1. What is the difference between the left and right ventricle?
The main difference between the left ventricle and the right ventricle is that the left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the entire body, while the right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
- Left ventricle: Sends oxygen-rich blood to the body through the aorta.
- Right ventricle: Sends oxygen-poor blood to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.
- The left ventricle has a thicker muscular wall because it pumps blood at higher pressure.
2. Why is the left ventricle thicker than the right ventricle?
The left ventricle is thicker than the right ventricle because it must generate higher pressure to pump blood throughout the entire body.
- It pumps blood into the systemic circulation.
- Blood must travel long distances to reach all organs and tissues.
- The right ventricle only pumps blood to the nearby lungs, requiring less force.
3. What is the function of the right ventricle?
The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs for oxygenation.
- It receives blood from the right atrium.
- Blood is pumped through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery.
- In the lungs, carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen.
4. What is the function of the left ventricle?
The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to all parts of the body.
- It receives blood from the left atrium.
- Blood passes through the aortic valve into the aorta.
- This supports systemic circulation and supplies oxygen and nutrients to tissues.
5. How does blood flow through the right and left ventricles?
Blood flows through the right and left ventricles in a coordinated sequence during the cardiac cycle.
- Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium → moves to the right ventricle → pumped to the lungs.
- Oxygenated blood returns to the left atrium → moves to the left ventricle → pumped to the body.
- This ensures continuous double circulation in humans.
6. Which ventricle pumps blood at higher pressure?
The left ventricle pumps blood at a much higher pressure than the right ventricle.
- It must overcome resistance in the systemic arteries.
- Its muscular wall (myocardium) is significantly thicker.
- The right ventricle works at lower pressure because pulmonary circulation has less resistance.
7. What type of blood is present in the left and right ventricles?
The left ventricle contains oxygenated blood, while the right ventricle contains deoxygenated blood.
- Left ventricle: High oxygen, low carbon dioxide.
- Right ventricle: Low oxygen, high carbon dioxide.
- This separation prevents mixing of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood.
8. How are the left and right ventricles separated?
The left and right ventricles are separated by a thick muscular wall called the interventricular septum.
- It prevents mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
- It maintains efficient double circulation.
- Defects in this septum can cause a ventricular septal defect (VSD).
9. What happens if the left ventricle fails?
If the left ventricle fails, it cannot pump blood effectively to the body, leading to left-sided heart failure.
- Blood may back up into the lungs.
- This can cause shortness of breath and fluid accumulation.
- Organs may receive insufficient oxygenated blood.
10. What happens if the right ventricle fails?
If the right ventricle fails, it cannot pump blood efficiently to the lungs, resulting in right-sided heart failure.
- Blood may accumulate in veins.
- Swelling (edema) can occur in the legs and abdomen.
- Oxygenation of blood in the lungs may be reduced.
