The human heart is one of the most incredible organs of the body. It labors day and night to keep us alive. With each beat, it pumps the blood in the body. It provides oxygen and food to every cell. Even when it is at rest, the heart will continue to pump blood. In order to sustain the body’s energy to do work. But all within the heart is asymmetrical. One of the most frequent questions asked in school class, in medic forums, or in fact, out of sheer interest is: what is thicker and stronger in the heart?
The reason why this is so is that the left side of the heart is stronger and thicker than the right. In order to see the entire reason why, however, we need to examine the shape of the heart. We also need to know the function of the heart, and why one side of the heart would be functioning differently than another.
Structure of the Heart
The human heart is a muscular pump. It is made up of four chambers. Which are two upper ones (atria) and two lower ones (ventricles).
The right atrium and right ventricle form the right chamber of the heart.
The left ventricle and left atrium constitute the left half of the heart.
The atria are thin receiving chambers, while the ventricles are muscular pump chambers which force the blood out of the heart. Ventricles are the heart pumps because they must pump the blood to the lungs or the whole body.
And then the difference. The right ventricle doesn’t have to work as hard as the left ventricle and thus does not have thicker walls either. The left ventricle, working so much harder, has thicker muscle walls.
What the Right Side of the Heart Does
The right ventricle distributes oxygen-poor blood to the lungs. When the body’s blood returns, it will return to the right atrium, and to the right ventricle. It’ll be pumped into the lungs via the pulmonary artery.
The body takes in oxygen and expels carbon dioxide in the lungs. Because the blood is oxygenated. So it is now prepared to move back to the heart this time, to the left.
The right ventricle doesn’t have to pump the blood very far. It simply pushes the blood right on down to the lungs, which are right by the heart. Because it is right by it, the pressure required isn’t tremendous, and the walls of the right ventricle are as thin as possible.
What the Left Side of the Heart Does
The left side of the heart is exceptionally strong. After the blood has gone into the lungs to be oxygenated, it moves into the left atrium, then the left ventricle, and then onward to the whole body via the aorta.
It’s a terrible task, really. The left ventricle must be able to produce sufficient pressure to drive the blood through all the circuity of arteries, veins, and capillaries that serve all the organs, muscles, and tissues. It’s a distance, and the pressure must be strong enough so as to keep the circulation of blood.
Because of this, the left ventricle is bigger and more powerful than the right ventricle. It’s got double thickness muscle walls. It’s the heart’s strongest chamber.
Why the Left Side is Stronger and Thicker
Workload is why.
The right ventricle sends blood just a short way to the lungs.
The left ventricle sends blood all the way throughout the whole body—from head to toes.
In order to be strong enough to perform this humongous task, the left ventricle needs to be more muscular. The thick walls have enough strength to pump the humongous pressure that needs to be utilized in order to distribute the blood to the entire circulatory system.
If the left heart had been more powerful, blood would not have been able to flow to the body’s extremities. Nature therefore constructed the heart as it is so that oxygenated blood reaches the rest of the body.
Both Sides Compared
Right side at a glance:
Thin walls, low pressure, supplies only to the lungs.
Left side at a glance:
Thick walls, high pressure, supplies the body.
That is, if you were simply playing catch in a little room, you would not be exerting much force. But if you had to throw the ball across a gigantic football stadium, you would be exerting much more force. That is the difference between the right ventricle and the left ventricle.
What Happens if the Left Side is Weakened
As the left ventricle of the heart is so important, heart diseases that happen in this region of the heart are fatal. When the left part of the heart is not functioning properly, it cannot pump blood all over the body, and conditions like:
- Heart failure – where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to supply the body’s demands.
- Hypertension damage – the blood pressure is too high, so the left ventricle must work harder, and that makes the walls thicken and harden.
- Heart attacks – if the blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, the left ventricle is injured.
Because the left side does so much work, doctors care how much work the left ventricle is doing when they administer cardiovascular tests.
The role of exercise in heart conditioning
As with any other muscle, the heart gets conditioned by exercising. Swimming, pedalling a bicycle, running, or brisk walking are a few of the exercises that condition the heart to do more and therefore render the heart efficient. Both ventricles of the heart get conditioned but the power-building marvel of the heart, the left ventricle, gets conditioned.
But keep in mind that with exercise, sure, the heart also becomes powerful, but disease states like high blood pressure overworking the left ventricle do occur. Balance, follow-up, and good living are therefore in order.
Interesting Facts About the Heart
- The human person’s heart pumps approximately 100,000 times a day.
- The left ventricle is three times stronger than the right ventricle.
- In spite of the fact that the heart is no larger than a clenched fist, it pumps nearly 5 liters of blood through it in a single minute.
- So tremendous is the pressure the left ventricle creates that it would blow itself to pieces through the body a few feet in the air if bursting of an artery were to occur.
Evidence alone of just how strong the heart—and the left ventricle—are are these facts.
How to Keep Your Healthy Heart
And if the heart is working as hard for us as it possibly can, we need to take care of it. Some easy things to do are:
- Eat healthily – fruit, greens, whole food, lean meat, and low salt.
- Exercise each day – a minimum of 30 minutes exercise on most weekdays.
- Do not smoke and cut down on alcohol – both harm the heart and blood vessels.
- Avoid stress – stress hormones increase the workload of the heart.
- Get check-ups every now and then – to test blood pressure, cholesterol, and general heart operation.
A healthy heart means the right and left sides may still be functioning well after decades.
FAQs
What is the more muscular and stronger part of the heart?
The left, especially the left ventricle, as it sends the blood to the rest of the body.
Why is the right thinner?
The right side only pumps to local lungs and doesn’t need so much pressure.
Can the right be stronger?
Yes, but never stronger than the left because it just doesn’t need pumping so hard.
What if the left ventricle fails?
It can make a bad disease like heart failure, when the body isn’t getting enough blood and oxygen.
How do I become healthy?
Through regular exercise, healthy eating, by not smoking, and managing blood pressure.
The heart is a great organ, and both halves along. The left side is bigger and stronger because it has the more difficult job of pumping the blood out to the entire body. The right side is smaller because it has the easier job of pumping the blood to the lungs only.
Keeping this asymmetry in view, we can better comprehend the delicate structure of the body. A healthy and well-fed heart due to healthy lifestyle choices causes both sides to collaborate for our nourishment, keeping us fit and strong.
