Questions: 7. Why is the myocardium in the left ventricle thicker than the myocardium in the right ventricle?

The myocardium in the left ventricle is thicker than the myocardium in the right ventricle because the left ventricle needs to generate a higher pressure to pump blood throughout the entire body. The left ventricle is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood into the systemic circulation, which requires overcoming the higher resistance of the systemic arteries. In contrast, the right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary circulation, which is a shorter and lower-resistance circuit. Therefore, the left ventricle has a thicker myocardium to provide the necessary force to maintain adequate blood flow throughout the body.