Left ventricle

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Left Ventricle

The Left Ventricle (/lɛft 'vɛntrɪkl/), from the Latin ventriculus meaning "little belly", is one of the four main chambers of the heart. It receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium and pumps it into the aorta, the largest artery in the body, which then distributes the oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body.

Anatomy

The left ventricle is located in the middle of the heart, below the left atrium and opposite the right ventricle. It is surrounded by a thick layer of muscle known as the myocardium, which allows it to contract and pump blood. The inner surface of the left ventricle is lined with a thin layer of cells called the endocardium.

Function

The primary function of the left ventricle is to pump oxygenated blood to the body. When the left atrium contracts, it pushes blood into the left ventricle. The left ventricle then contracts, pushing the blood into the aorta and out to the body. This process is known as the cardiac cycle.

Related Terms

  • Cardiac cycle: The sequence of events that occur when the heart beats.
  • Myocardium: The muscular tissue of the heart.
  • Endocardium: The thin, smooth membrane that lines the inside of the chambers of the heart.
  • Aorta: The main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen.
  • Left atrium: The upper left chamber of the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it down into the left ventricle.

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski