Why does the thickness of the heart's chamber walls vary?

A chamber wall's thickness is directly linked to its function. Each of the 4 chambers has a different function and so, they each have different wall thickness.

The more work a chamber has to do, the thicker the wall.

This explains why the left ventricle of the heart has a thicker wall than the right ventricle - this is because the left ventricle pumps blood all around the body at high pressure whereas the right ventricle only needs to pump the blood to the lungs, which are nearby.

TE
Answered by Tasnim E. Biology tutor

51942 Views

See similar Biology A Level tutors

Related Biology A Level answers

All answers ▸

How do the components of a plasma membrane affect the movement of substances into and out of a cell, and why is this regulation important?


Describe the processes involved in protein production within a cell


By what process do proteins leave a cell?


What is transcription and describe the process


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning