Question

There are four chambers in the mouse heart - the right and left ventricles, and the right and left atria. Based on the data in the table below, which chamber, the left ventricle or the left atrium, do you think pumps blood from the heart to the rest of the body? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

The left ventricle pumps blood to the rest of the body. This is because there is a higher percentage of mitochondria in the left ventricle. Mitochondria are energy producing organelles which produce ATP and are the main site of respiration. This energy is used for pumping blood around the body.