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Blood Flow through the Heart

PART IV Maintenance of the Body

No connection exists between the right and left sides of the The right atrium receives deoxygenated
heart, and the flow of blood through each side is kept separate
from each other. Even so, the two sides, or pumps, work
1 blood returning from the body through
the superior and inferior vena cavae.
together to ensure that the organs and tissues of the body receive
an adequate supply of oxygenated blood.
ANIMATION

Superior
vena cava

Right atrium

Unoxygenated
blood

Tricuspid valve

Right atrium Right ventricle

Inferior vena cava

Tricuspid valve

Right ventricle

Once the right atrium is full, it contracts.

2 This forces the tricuspid valve open and
blood flows into the right ventricle. When the
To the
lungs
To the
lungs

right ventricle is full, the tricuspid valve snaps Pulmonary Pulmonary

closed to prevent blood from flowing backward valve artery
into the atria.

The Body AT WORK Tricuspid valve

To prevent the tricuspid valve from inverting

like a windblown umbrella during
Right ventricle
ventricular contraction, strands of fibrous
connective tissue (called chordae
tendineae) extend from conical papillary
muscles on the floor of the ventricle to the
valve cusps. The papillary muscles contract After filling, the right ventricle contracts, forcing the
along with the ventricles, pulling on the
chordae tendineae and anchoring the valve
3 pulmonary valve open. Blood is pumped into the right
and left pulmonary arteries and onto the lungs. After the right
cusps in the proper position to prevent the ventricle empties, the pulmonary valve closes to prevent the
regurgitation of blood into the atrium. blood from flowing backward into the ventricle.
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When the left ventricle is full, the mitral valve closes to prevent
6

CHAPTER 14 Heart
backflow. The ventricle then contracts, forcing the aortic valve to
open, allowing blood to flow into the aorta. From there, oxygenated
blood is distributed to every organ in the body.

When the left atrium is full, it

Oxygenated
blood Aorta
5 contracts. This forces the mitral, or
bicuspid, valve open and blood is pumped
into the left ventricle.

Mitral valve
Aortic valve

Left Left atrium

ventricle

Mitral valve
Descending aorta

Left
ventricle

Left atrium

Left
pulmonary
Right
veins
pulmonary
veins
Mitral valve

Left
ventricle

After replenishing its supply of oxygen (and cleansing itself of FAST FACT
4 carbon dioxide) in the lungs, the blood enters the pulmonary
veins and returns to the heart through the left atrium.
Although the right and left sides
of the heart act as separate
pumps, they perform their work
simultaneously. Both the right
and left atria contract at the same
time, as do both ventricles.