Stories
Is Your Heart Really on the Left? Uncover 7 Surprising Facts This World Heart Day!
- •The human heart is located near the center of the chest, between the lungs, but is tilted slightly towards the left, not entirely on the left side.
- •It sits in the mediastinum, behind the breastbone and above the diaphragm, with portions extending to both the left and right of the midline.
- •The heart's pointed lower end, the apex, points downwards and towards the left, which is why the heartbeat is often felt more clearly on the left.
- •An adult heart is typically about the size of a clenched fist and has four chambers: right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle.
- •A muscular wall called the septum separates the heart's right and left sides, preventing oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood from mixing.
Key Questions Answered
The human heart is located near the centre of the chest in a space called the mediastinum, positioned behind the breastbone and between the lungs. Although it sits mostly to the left of the body's midline, a portion of it also extends towards the right.
The heart is slightly tilted with its pointed lower end, known as the apex, pointing downwards and towards the left side of the chest. This orientation, along with the apical impulse, makes the heartbeat feel more noticeable on the left side.
The human heart has four chambers: the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle. The right side handles blood returning from the body to send to the lungs, while the left side receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to pump to the rest of the body.
