Left

Left ventricle

The left ventricle is one of the four chambers (two atria and two ventricles) of the human heart. It receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium via the mitral valve, and pumps it into the aorta via the aortic valve.

Structure

The left ventricle is the thickest of the heart's chambers and is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to tissues all around the body. By contrast, the right ventricle solely pumps blood to the lungs.

Function

The left ventricle's primary role is to pump oxygenated blood to the body. This blood then returns to the right atrium and passes through to the right ventricle, where it is pumped out to the lungs.

Clinical significance

Diseases of the left ventricle, such as left ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement and thickening of the walls of the left ventricle), can occur in response to factors such as hypertension or aortic stenosis.

See also

• Heart
• Right ventricle
• Atrium (heart)
• Aorta
• Mitral valve
• Aortic valve

External links

• Left Ventricle at Britannica

This article is a medical stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it!
Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia