British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Ventricles definition

Definition: If we look at a cross-section of the heart, we can see 4 chambers - two at the top and two below. The bottom two are called ventricles. Blood enters the left ventricle and is pumped into the aorta above it, from there, the blood circulates around the body, distributing oxygen. The right ventricle receives blood depleted of oxygen, which is pumped back into the lungs to collect more. Both ventricles have a layer of muscle around them - this is very thick on the left side but much thinner on the right. This is because the pumping action of the heart needs to circulate blood throughout the body, whereas the blood in the right ventricle has only a short distance to travel to get to the lungs.