which side is the heart on

The heart is primarily located on the left side of the chest. It sits slightly left of the breastbone (sternum), nestled between the left and right lungs. Because of this positioning, the left lung is slightly smaller to make room for the heart. The heart's apex points to the left side, giving the appearance that the heart is more on the left, although much of it sits centrally within the mediastinum, the central compartment of the thoracic cavity. This left- sided orientation is important for its function of pumping oxygenated blood throughout the body. Rarely, due to a condition called dextrocardia, the heart can be positioned on the right side instead, but this is uncommon.