Which side of the heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body?

Which side of the heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body?

• A. Left side
• B. Right side
• C. Both sides
• D. None

Answer: (A)

The left side is the systemic pump that delivers oxygen-rich blood to the body. After blood picks up oxygen in the lungs, it returns to the heart into the left atrium, moves into the left ventricle, and is ejected through the aorta to nourish tissues throughout the body. The left ventricle has a thicker muscular wall because it must generate higher pressure to propel blood systemically. The right side, by contrast, handles deoxygenated blood from the body and sends it to the lungs for oxygenation. Since the left side drives the circulation to the body with oxygenated blood, it is the side that performs this function.

The left side is the systemic pump that delivers oxygen-rich blood to the body. After blood picks up oxygen in the lungs, it returns to the heart into the left atrium, moves into the left ventricle, and is ejected through the aorta to nourish tissues throughout the body. The left ventricle has a thicker muscular wall because it must generate higher pressure to propel blood systemically. The right side, by contrast, handles deoxygenated blood from the body and sends it to the lungs for oxygenation. Since the left side drives the circulation to the body with oxygenated blood, it is the side that performs this function.