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A heart valve is a biological one-way valve that allows blood to flow in one direction through the chambers of the heart. A mammalian heart usually has four valves. Together, the valves determine the direction of blood flow through the heart. Heart valves are opened or closed by a difference in blood pressure on each side. [1] [2] [3]
The skeletal muscle pump. The skeletal muscle pump or musculovenous pump is a collection of skeletal muscles that aid the heart in the circulation of blood. It is especially important in increasing venous return to the heart, [1] but may also play a role in arterial blood flow.
The heart functions as a pump and acts as a double pump in the cardiovascular system to provide a continuous circulation of blood throughout the body. This circulation includes the systemic circulation and the pulmonary circulation. Both circuits transport blood but they can also be seen in terms of the gases they carry.
Diagram of the human heart showing blood oxygenation to the pulmonary and systemic circulation. The heart pumps blood to all parts of the body providing nutrients and oxygen to every cell, and removing waste products. The left heart pumps oxygenated blood returned from the lungs to the rest of the body in the systemic circulation.
Heart valves can malfunction for a variety of reasons, which can impede the flow of blood through the valve and/or let blood flow backwards through the valve (regurgitation). Both processes put strain on the heart and may lead to serious problems, including heart failure. While some dysfunctional valves can be treated with drugs or repaired ...
Circulation is split into pulmonary circulation—during which the right ventricle pumps oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs through the pulmonary trunk and arteries; or the systemic circulation—in which the left ventricle pumps/ejects newly oxygenated blood throughout the body via the aorta and all other arteries. [1] [2]
Blood clots can damage the valves of the veins, leading to chronic venous insufficiency, which makes it harder for the body to pump blood back to the heart, per the Cleveland Clinic. This can lead ...
A valve prolapse can result in mitral insufficiency, which is the regurgitation or backflow of blood from the left ventricle to the left atrium due to the incomplete closure of the valve causing a systolic murmur heard at the apex of the heart. This increase in pressure in the left atrium and pulmonary circuit can lead to symptoms like fatigue ...