CLASS NOTES ON WORKING OF HEART AND STRUCTURAL ADAPTATION OF HEART

Why left ventricle wall is more thicker than right ventricle?

Ans: Ventricles have thick muscular walls because they have to pump blood round the whole body which
requires high pressure. The left ventricle wall is more thicker than right ventricle since it only pumps blood
to the lungs, which is close to the heart which requires low pressure.

What is the function of Median Septum?

Ans: Median Septum is a muscular wall in the middle which separates the left and right sides of heart which
prevents mixing of deoxygenated blood in the right side with the oxygenated blood in the left side. If they
mixed, it would reduce the amount of oxygen carried to the tissue cells.

How heart pumps blood?

Ans: Deoxygenated blood from various parts of the body enter the right atrium of the heart by the superior
and inferior vena cavaes. The right atrium contracts and blood flows into the right ventricle through the
tricuspid valve. The right ventricle then contracts and blood flows to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.
Oxygenated blood from the lungs is brought back to the left atrium by the pulmonary veins. The left atrium
contracts and blood flows to the left ventricle through the bicuspid/mitral valve. The left ventricles then
contract and blood flows to the aortic valve and then the rest of the body via the aorta. The pressure
difference causes the blood to flow from the ventricles to the valves and prevents backward flow. There
are flaps in the heart which permits easy flow of blood from the atrium into the ventricle.