One way through the heart
Two sides, two separate flows.
A pump with rooms
The human heart is a muscular pump about as big as your fist. Inside, it has separate rooms called chambers.
Why do you think the heart has separate chambers?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Separate heart chambers keep oxygen-rich and carbon dioxide-rich blood apart: lungs → left atrium → left ventricle → body, and body → right atrium → right ventricle → lungs.
A pump with rooms
The human heart is a muscular pump about as big as your fist. Inside, it has separate rooms called chambers.
Why do you think the heart has separate chambers?
- To keep two kinds of blood apart
- To make it heavier
- To store food
Follow the blood
Press Next step to follow each path.
Two separate paths
Because the heart has separate chambers, oxygen-rich blood and carbon dioxide-rich blood do not mix. Oxygen-rich blood goes from the lungs into the left atrium, then the left ventricle, and out to the body. Blood from the body, rich in carbon dioxide, goes into the right atrium, then the right ventricle, and on to the lungs.
Separate heart chambers keep oxygen-rich and carbon dioxide-rich blood apart: lungs, then left atrium, then left ventricle, then body, and body, then right atrium, then right ventricle, then lungs.
Notes
Separate heart chambers keep oxygen-rich and CO₂-rich blood apart: lungs, then left atrium, then left ventricle, then body, and body, then right atrium, then right ventricle, then lungs.
Check yourself
Which chamber receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs?
Where is blood pumped to from the left ventricle?
What is the use of the separate chambers of the heart?
The right ventricle pumps blood to the ...
- The right atrium. The right atrium receives de-oxygenated blood from the body.
- The left atrium — correct. Yes!
- The left ventricle. The left ventricle receives blood from the left atrium and pumps it out to the body.
- To the lungs. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs for oxygenation.
- Back to the right atrium. Blood from the left ventricle is pumped out to the body.
- To the body — correct. Yes!
- They prevent oxygen-rich blood from mixing with blood containing carbon dioxide — correct. Yes!
- They let blood flow backwards. Valves ensure that blood does not flow backwards when the atria or ventricles contract.
- They turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. Carbon dioxide is removed in the lungs, where oxygen enters the blood.
- body. The left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood out to the body.
- lungs — correct. Yes!
- left atrium. The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs.