Left atrium
Left atrium
The left atrium (pronunciation: /lɛft ˈeɪtriəm/) is one of the four chambers of the heart. It receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it down into the left ventricle which delivers it to the rest of the body.
Etymology
The term "atrium" is derived from the Latin word "atrium", which means 'central court' or 'main hall'. The prefix "left" is from the Old English "lyft", meaning 'weak' or 'foolish', which is a reference to the belief in ancient times that the left side was less reliable or weaker than the right.
Structure
The left atrium is located in the upper part of the heart, on the left side. It is separated from the right atrium by the interatrial septum. The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs through the pulmonary veins. It then pumps this blood into the left ventricle through the mitral valve, which prevents the backflow of blood.
Function
The primary function of the left atrium is to act as a holding chamber for blood returning from the lungs and to act as a pump to transport blood to other areas of the heart, specifically, the left ventricle. This process is a crucial part of the cardiac cycle.
Related Terms
- Heart: The organ that pumps blood throughout the body.
- Lungs: The organs that oxygenate blood.
- Left ventricle: The chamber of the heart that pumps oxygenated blood to tissues all over the body.
- Right atrium: The chamber of the heart that receives deoxygenated blood from the body.
- Pulmonary veins: The veins that carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.
- Mitral valve: The valve that allows blood to flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle, and prevents backflow.
- Cardiac cycle: The process that describes the filling and emptying of the chambers of the heart.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Left atrium
- Wikipedia's article - Left atrium
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