The human heart is one of the most important organs that keeps a human body running. Without it, we won’t be able to receive oxygen in our blood and will instantly be at our deathbed.
Thus, it is necessary for everyone to know about a few common factors regarding the human and heart, and an excellent place to start is the location of the heart.
So, why is the heart on the left?
The heart is located in the left portion of a human body because the left ventricle of a human heart is a bit stronger than the right ventricle and more significant than the heart’s right ventricle, which is slightly tilted towards the left.
Exact Position Of Human Heart
Before breaking down why the heart is on the left, we need to know the precise location of human nature, and this will give a good insight as to why we feel that our heart is on the left side.
To be precise, the human heart is located in the mediastinum, which is the membranous-filled location found between the lungs. The mediastinum is at the center of the thorax.
So, in simple terms, a human heart is located between the lungs and the chest of a human being. So, it is located just beneath the middle of the breastbone or sternum, but it just a little shifted towards the left side of the sternum.
Therefore, in exact medical terms, a human heart is located in the center just beneath the breastbone but is slightly positioned towards the left side.
Anatomy Of The Human Heart
To know why the heart is on the left, you need to understand the basic anatomy of the heart. The human heart can be divided into four parts, where the upper two parts are called the left atrium & right atrium, and the bottom two functions are called the left ventricle & right ventricle.
There are also four valves involved: tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, mitral valve & aortic valve. These valves open and close during the blood circulation so that blood can enter through one portion of the heart and then get delivered to another part of the entire body.
Right Atrium
The right atrium is located on the upper right chamber of the heart; therefore, it is slightly smaller than the left atrium. It takes in the deoxidated or non-oxygenated blood from our body cells and sends them to the right ventricle.
Right Ventricle
After receiving blood from right atrium, right ventricle pumps the blood and sends them into the lungs, where it gets oxygenated. This portion of the human heart is nearest to the front of the body than the other three parts of the heart.
Left Atrium
Left atrium is one of the more significant parts of the heart that receives the oxidized blood from the lungs. Compared to right atrium, it is pretty large in size.
Left Ventricle
The most important part of the heart is left ventricle, as it receives the oxygenated blood from left atrium and sends the oxygenated blood all across the body.
Now compared to the other portions of a human heart ,left ventricle is the largest and the thickest part of the heart. It can be labeled as the leading work center of the human heart.
How Blood Flow Through The Human Heart
non-oxygenated blood comes to the heart by right atrium from the super vena cava and the inferior vena cava. When the blood is in right atrium, the tricuspid valve opens and lets the non-oxygenated blood to right ventricle.
After receiving the non-oxygenated blood from right atrium, right ventricle sends that blood into the lungs via the pulmonary valves. From there, left atrium receives the oxygenated blood that was generated in the lungs. The blood comes from the mitral valves.
Upon receiving the oxygenated blood, left atrium sends that blood to left ventricle. From there, left ventricle sends by pumping the oxygen-filled blood to every cell of the body via the aortic valve.
So, if we analyze this process of fresh oxygen-filled blood pumping through the human heart, we can see that most of the part is done by the left portion of the human heart, mainly on left ventricle.
Why Is Heart on the Left?
Finally, if we sum all of these together, we can see that in the case of the human heart, the left side is more prominent and thicker and also provides fresh oxygenated blood to the cells and due to that, when we try to feel our heart, we feel the pumping on the left side of the chest.
Also, the more powerful and thicker side of the heart is on the left. The human heart is slightly tilted towards the left side of our chest. That’s why most of the time, we have come to the conclusion that the human heart is located on the left side of our heart.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is the heart only located on the left?
No, there are some exceptional cases where the heart is slightly tilted on the right side. This condition is called Dextrocardia.
2. Is a man and woman’s heart have the same proportions?
No, there is a size difference between a woman’s heart and a man’s heart. The man’s heart is slightly bigger than a woman’s.
3. Can hearts move out of place?
Yes, it is rare, but a heart can move out of place. The leads in the heart may cause this issue.
Conclusion
The human heart is essential for our survival, and a minor change can harm this crucial part. And to keep our hearts safe, it is necessary to learn about its location. So, hopefully, if you have come this far, you know why is the heart on the left.
But that doesn’t mean there are exceptional cases where the heart isn’t located on the left. So, be safe and take care of your heart.
