Heart Chamber - Function and Location

Function and Location

• Right atrium: Situated in the upper right section of the heart, this chamber receives oxygen-depleted blood from the body from two major veins, the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava. This chamber then pumps blood through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle situated below.
• Right ventricle: Located below the right atrium, this chamber receives oxygen-depleted blood from the right atrium and pumps it through the pulmonary valve and into the lungs via the right and left pulmonary artery.
• Left atrium: This chamber sits opposite the right atrium and is the upper part of the heart that receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs via the right and left pulmonary veins and pumps it through the bicuspid valve or mitral valve into the left ventricle.
• Left ventricle: This chamber is the lower part of the heart that receives oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium above it, and pumps it through the aortic valve to be distributed throughout the entire body via the aorta, including to the heart muscle itself through the coronary arteries.

The right atrium makes up the majority of the right boarder of the heart and the right ventricle makes up the majority of the inferior boarder. The left boarder of the heart consists of the left ventricle. In addition, the heart chamber located in the most superior position is the left atrium. The bottom left region, which includes the apex of the heart, sticks out more anteriorly compared to the rest of the heart.