Organs on Left Side of Body with Pictures

Organs on the left side are those that are located towards the left of the vertebral column.

A human body can be vertically divided into two equal halves along the vertical axis.

So, based on their distribution, some organs can be found on the left and some on the right side of the column.

Vital Organs on the Left Side of the Body

1. Heart
2. Stomach
3. Pancreas
4. Spleen
5. Kidney (left)
6. Lung (left)
7. Ovary (left in the woman)
8. Testis (left one in the adult male)
9. Eye (left)
10. Ear (left)
11. Adrenal gland
12. Salivary glands

Heart

• This appears at the body’s center in the thoracic cavity between the lungs.

• But most of it is localized to the left of the body’s axis below the breast and ribs.

• It is situated between the lung and inside the rib cage, ensuring its protection.

Stomach

• The stomach is the prominent organ of the digestive system.

• The gut, up to the esophagus, travels through the center of the body.

• But at the point of the stomach, this gut bends to the left side of the axis, as seen in the picture above.

Thus, the stomach is positioned to the body’s left in the abdominal cavity.

Pancreas

• This is the organ located at the bottom of the stomach, as seen in the image below.

• This pancreas is a large mass of glands with a leaf-like shape.

• It is both an endocrine and exocrine gland.

• Its exocrine function helps in digestion by the release of digestive enzymes.

• Besides, with its endocrine function, the pancreas controls blood glucose levels through hormone release.

Spleen

• This is a dark purple-colored organ located on the left side near the stomach in the abdominal cavity.

• It performs functions like destroying red blood cells, storing blood, and also immune cells.

• Old red blood cells are mostly destroyed after 120 days of their lifespan.

One of the organ pairs is located on the left side.

Lung

• There are a pair of balloon-like structures with air in them.

• One is located on the left side and is part of the respiratory system.

It helps in the exchange of gasses in the body from the air.

Kidney

• As you might have known, a pair of kidneys is in our body, almost below the ribs.

• One is located on the left side of the vertebral column in the hip region.

The other is on the right side and is connected to the urinary bladder through the left ureter.

Ureter

• These are pipe-like organs that carry urine from the kidney to the urethra.

• There are two, and one is located on the left side in both males and females.

Ovary

A pair of ovaries are located on each side of the vertebral column.

• One ovary is on the left side of a woman’s body.

• They help in the production of ova, the female gamete.

Testes

• On the left side of the body, one of the testes is present in the scrotum. 

• It helps in the formation of sperms, the male gametes.

Eye

• One of the two eyes is on the left side of the forehead.

• So we call it the left eye, which helps with vision on the left.

• The eye is located safely in the eye socket of the skull.

Ear

• One of the ears is on the left side of the head, helping in hearing and body balance.
• Externally, the outer ear, called the pinna, can be seen.

Adrenal gland

• Like kidneys, these glands are also present under the ribs.

• There are a pair of adrenal glands, each located on a kidney.

• One of them is found on top of the left kidney.

• This gland releases adrenaline, a neurotransmitter, and also corticosteroid hormones.

The corticosteroids include glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids.

Salivary glands

• In the mouth region, there are three pairs of salivary glands.

• Each jaw, cheek, and chin has one of the pairs.

• The three salivary glands are the parotid, sublingual, and submandibular glands.

• So, one of the parotic glands, sub-mandibular, is located on the left side of the body. Please check the image below.

The left parotid gland is towards the left ear, while the left sub-mandibular gland is towards the left mandible jaw curve.

These salivary glands secrete saliva, a watery secretion.

This keeps the mouth moist and clean. Saliva has an enzyme amylase.

This amylase digests the carbohydrates in the mouth to a small extent.

Few organs are present along the vertical axis of the body.

These include the uterus, intestine, trachea, esophagus, and urinary bladder.

Further, parts of a few organs are on the left side, such as the descending colon of the large intestine, portions of the small intestine, lymphatic vessels, and lymph nodes.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.

References:

• Structure and function of the spleen
• Adrenal Glands
• Corticosteroids
• Orbit (anatomy)