Heart Valves: Where They Are and What They Do
Heart Valves: Where They Are and What They Do
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Heart Valves: Where They Are and What They Do
Understanding How the Valves of the Heart Work
Updated August 29, 2016
What Heart Valves Do
There are four heart valves in a healthy human heart. The valves help to maintain proper blood flow through the heart , keeping blood moving efficiently and smoothly, and in the right direction. In addition to the valves there are four heart chambers -- the upper chambers are called the left and right atrium, the lower chambers are the left and right ventricle.
A healthy heart valve will stop blood from flowing out of a heart chamber until it is time for the heart to pump the blood to its next destination.
The valves open and close with precision timing, allowing the heart to pump blood effectively.
A valve that does not work properly will cause the heart to work much harder than it should, as blood tries to flow in the wrong direction or it becomes difficult for the heart to develop adequate blood pressure. Blood may also “leak” through a diseased valve that is not functioning well.
The Tricuspid Heart Valve
The tricuspid valve is the first valve that blood flows through in the heart. It is one of two atrioventricular valves, meaning that it is located between the atrium and the ventricle, in this case, on the right side of the heart. It is made of three flaps, or leaflets, that work together to stop and start the flow of blood.
The leaflets are attached to tiny muscles, called the papillary muscles, that strengthen the movement of the leaflets. The tricuspid valve opens when the atrium contracts, allowing blood to flow into the ventricle.
The tricuspid valve, like the mitral valve, is one of the common sites of valve prolapse and regurgitation, conditions which may make medical intervention a necessity.
The Pulmonic Heart Valve
The pulmonic valve is the second valve of the heart. Like the aortic valve, it is also referred to as a semilunar valve, because of its shape.
It lies between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, which takes blood to the lungs. When the right ventricle contracts, the tricuspid valve opens, allowing blood to flow to the lungs.