Why is the myocardium of the left ventricle thicker than that of the right ventricle?
- The left ventricle has to pump a greater volume of blood than the right ventricle.
- The resistance of the systemic circulation is greater than that of the pulmonary circulation.
- The left ventricle has to pump blood to the brain against gravity.
- The right ventricle is assisted by the “respiratory pump”.
B: The length of the blood vessels that make up the systemic circuit is much greater than the length of vessels in the pulmonary circulation. This greater length presents a greater resistance to the flow of blood. So the LV must be stronger – made of thicker muscle – to exert sufficient pressure on the blood to overcome the resistance.
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