Ventricle ( heart ) - wikipedia Ventricle ( heart ) Ventricle Computer generated animation of cut section of the human heart showing both the ventricles. Details Identifiers Latin ventriculus cordis MeSH D006352 TA A12. 1.00. 012 FMA 7100 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) A ventricle is one of two large chambers in the heart that collect and expel blood received from an atrium towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The atrium ( an adjacent / upper heart chamber that is smaller than a ventricle ) primes the pump. Interventricular means between the ventricles ( for example the interventricular septum ), while intraventricular means within one ventricle ( for example an intraventricular block ). In a four - chambered heart, such as that in humans, there are two ventricles that operate in a double circulatory system : the right ventricle pumps blood into the pulmonary circulation to the lungs, and the left ventricle pumps blood into the systemic circulation through the aorta. Contents 1 Structure 1.1 Shape 1.2 Development 2 Function 2.1 Pumping volume 2.2 Volumes 2.3 Pressures 2.3. 1 Left 2.3. 2 Right 2.4 Dimensions 3 Clinical significance 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Structure Heart section showing ventricles and ventricular septum Ventricles have thicker walls than atria and generate higher blood pressures. The physiological load on the ventricles requiring pumping of blood throughout the body and lungs is much greater than the pressure generated by the atria to fill the ventricles. Further, the left ventricle has thicker walls than the right because it needs to pump blood to most of the body while the right ventricle fills only the lungs. On the inner walls of the ventricles are irregular muscular columns called trabeculae carneae which cover all of the inner ventricular surfaces except that of the conus arteriosus, in the right ventricle. There are three types of these muscles. The third type, the papillary muscles give origin at their apices to the chordae tendinae which attach to the cusps of the tricuspid valve and to the mitral valve. The mass of the left ventricle, as estimated by magnetic resonance imaging, averages 143 g ± 38.4 g, with a range of 87 -- -- 224 g. The right ventricle is equal in size to that of the left ventricle, and contains roughly 85 millilitres ( 3 imp fl oz ; 3 US fl oz ) in the adult. Its upper front surface is circled and convex, and forms much of the sternocostal surface of the heart. Its under surface is flattened, forming part of the diaphragmatic surface of the heart that rests upon the diaphragm. Its posterior wall is formed by the ventricular septum, which bulges into the right ventricle, so that a transverse section of the cavity presents a semilunar outline. Its upper and left angle forms a conical pouch, the conus arteriosus, from which the pulmonary artery arises. A tendinous band, called the tendon of the conus arteriosus, extends upward from the right atrioventricular fibrous ring and connects the posterior surface of the conus arteriosus to the aorta. Shape The left ventricle is longer and more conical in shape than the right, and on transverse section its concavity presents an oval or nearly circular outline. It forms a small part of the sternocostal surface and a considerable part of the diaphragmatic surface of the heart ; it also forms the apex of the heart. The left ventricle is thicker and more muscular than the right ventricle because it pumps blood at a higher pressure. The right ventricle is triangular in shape and extends from the tricuspid valve in the right atrium to near the apex of the heart. Its wall is thickest at its base and thins towards the atrium. Development By early maturity, the walls of the left ventricle have thickened from three to six times greater than that of the right ventricle. This reflects the typical five times greater pressure workload this chamber performs while accepting blood returning from the pulmonary veins at ~ 80mmHg pressure ( equivalent to around 11 kPa ) and pushing it forward to the typical ~ 120mmHg pressure ( around 16.3 kPa ) in the aorta during each heartbeat. ( The pressures stated are resting values and stated as relative to surrounding atmospheric which is the typical `` 0 '' reference pressure used in medicine. ) Function During systole, the ventricles contract, pumping blood through the body. During diastole, the ventricles relax and fill with blood again. The left ventricle receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium via the mitral valve and pumps it through the aorta via the aortic valve, into the systemic circulation. The left ventricular muscle must relax and contract quickly and be able to increase or lower its pumping capacity under the control of the nervous system. In the diastolic phase, it has to relax very quickly after each contraction so as to quickly fill with the oxygenated blood flowing from the pulmonary veins. Likewise in the systolic phase, the left ventricle must contract rapidly and forcibly to pump this blood into the aorta, overcoming the much higher aortic pressure. The extra pressure exerted is also needed to stretch the aorta and other arteries to accommodate the increase in blood volume. The right ventricle receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium via the tricuspid valve and pumps it into the pulmonary artery via the pulmonary valve, into the pulmonary circulation. Pumping volume The typical healthy adult heart pumping volume is ~ 5 liters / min, resting. Maximum capacity pumping volume extends from ~ 25 liters / min for non-athletes to as high as ~ 45 liters / min for Olympic level athletes. Volumes In cardiology, the performance of the ventricles are measured with several volumetric parameters, including end - diastolic volume ( EDV ), end - systolic volume ( ESV ), stroke volume ( SV ) and ejection fraction ( E ). Wiggers diagram of various events of a cardiac cycle, showing left ventricular volume as a red trace. Ventricular volumes view talk Measure Right ventricle Left ventricle End - diastolic volume 144 mL ( ± 23 mL ) 142 mL ( ± 21 mL ) End - diastolic volume / body surface area ( mL / m ) 78 mL / m ( ± 11 mL / m ) 78 mL / m ( ± 8.8 mL / m ) End - systolic volume 50 mL ( ± 14 mL ) 47 mL ( ± 10 mL ) End - systolic volume / body surface area ( mL / m ) 27 mL / m ( ± 7 mL / m ) 26 mL / m ( ± 5.1 mL / m ) Stroke volume 94 mL ( ± 15 mL ) 95 mL ( ± 14 mL ) Stroke volume / body surface area ( mL / m ) 51 mL / m ( ± 7 mL / m ) 52 mL / m ( ± 6.2 mL / m ) Ejection fraction 66 % ( ± 6 % ) 67 % ( ± 4.6 % ) Heart rate 60 -- 100 bpm 60 -- 100 bpm Cardiac output 4.0 -- 8.0 L / minute 4.0 -- 8.0 L / minute Pressures Partial Wiggers diagram. Red = aortic pressure Blue = left ventricular pressure Yellow = left atrial pressure. Site Normal pressure range ( in mmHg ) Central venous pressure 3 -- 8 Right ventricular pressure systolic 15 -- 30 diastolic 3 -- 8 Pulmonary artery pressure systolic 15 -- 30 diastolic 4 -- 12 Pulmonary vein / Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure 2 -- 15 Left ventricular pressure systolic 100 -- 140 diastolic 3 -- 12 Ventricular pressure is a measure of blood pressure within the ventricles of the heart. Left During most of the cardiac cycle, ventricular pressure is less than the pressure in the aorta, but during systole, the ventricular pressure rapidly increases, and the two pressures become equal to each other ( represented by the junction of the blue and red lines on the diagram on this page ), the aortic valve opens, and blood is pumped to the body. Elevated left ventricular end - diastolic pressure has been described as a risk factor in cardiac surgery. Noninvasive approximations have been described. An elevated pressure difference between the aortic pressure and the left ventricular pressure may be indicative of Aortic stenosis. Right Right ventricular pressure demonstrates a different pressure - volume loop than left ventricular pressure. Dimensions The heart and its performance are also commonly measured in terms of dimensions, which in this case means one - dimensional distances, usually measured in millimeters. This is not as informative as volumes but may be much easier to estimate with ( e.g., M - Mode echocardiography or with sonomicrometry, which is mostly used for animal model research ). Optimally, it is specified with which plane the distance is measured in, e.g. the dimension of the longitudinal plane. Dimension Abbreviation Definition Normally End - diastolic dimension EDD The diameter across a ventricle at the end of diastole, if not else specified then usually referring to the transverse ( left - to - right ) internal ( luminal ) distance, excluding thickness of walls, although it can also be measured as the external distance. Left ventricular end - diastolic dimension LVEDD or sometimes LVDD The end - diastolic dimension of the left ventricle. 48 mm, Range 36 -- 56 mm Right ventricular end - diastolic dimension RVEDD or sometimes RVDD The end - diastolic dimension of the right ventricle. Range 10 -- 26 mm End - systolic dimension ESD ESD is similar to the end - diastolic dimension, but is measured at the end of systole ( after the ventricles have pumped out blood ) rather than at the end of diastole. Left ventricular end - systolic dimension LVESD or sometimes LVSD The end - systolic dimension of the left ventricle. Range 20 -- 40 mm Right ventricular end - systolic dimension RVESD or sometimes RVSD The end - systolic dimension of the right ventricle. Range 10 -- 26 mm Interventricular septal end diastolic dimension IVSd The thickness of the interventricular septum. 8.3 mm, Range 7 -- 11 mm Left ventricular end diastolic posterior wall dimension LVPWd The thickness of the posterior left ventricular wall. 8.3 mm, Range 7 -- 11 mm Left ventricular end systolic dimension As above but measured during systole. This measurement is not commonly used clinically. 16 mm Left atrial dimension LA Range 24 -- 40 mm Fractional shortening ( FS ) is the fraction of any diastolic dimension that is lost in systole. When referring to endocardial luminal distances, it is EDD minus ESD divided by EDD ( times 100 when measured in percentage ). Normal values may differ somewhat dependent on which anatomical plane is used to measure the distances. Normal range is 25 - 45 %, Mild is 20 - 25 %, Moderate is 15 - 20 %, and Severe is < 15 %. Cardiology Diagnostic Tests Midwall fractional shortening may also be used to measure diastolic / systolic changes for inter-ventricular septal dimensions and posterior wall dimensions. However, both endocardial and midwall fractional shortening are dependent on myocardial wall thickness, and thereby dependent on long - axis function. By comparison, a measure of short - axis function termed epicardial volume change ( EVC ) is independent of myocardial wall thickness and represents isolated short - axis function. Clinical significance Cardiac dysrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat that can occur in the ventricles or atria. Normally the heartbeat is initiated in the SA node of the atrium but initiation can also occur in the Purkinje fibres of the ventricles, giving rise to premature ventricular contractions, also called ventricular extra beats. When these beats become grouped the condition is known as ventricular tachycardia. Another form of arrhythmia is that of the ventricular escape beat. This can happen as a compensatory mechanism when there is a problem in the conduction system from the SA node. The most severe form of arrhythmia is ventricular fibrillation which is the most common cause of cardiac arrest and subsequent sudden death. Ventricular septal defect Atrioventricular septal defect See also Atrium ( heart ) Wiggers diagram References Jump up ^ Schlosser T, Pagonidis K, Herborn CU, Hunold P, Waltering KU, Lauenstein TC, Barkhausen J ( March 2005 ). `` Assessment of left ventricular parameters using 16 - MDCT and new software for endocardial and epicardial border delineation ''. AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology. 184 ( 3 ) : 765 -- 73. doi : 10.2214 / ajr. 184.3. 01840765. PMID 15728595. ^ Jump up to : Maceira AM, Prasad SK, Khan M, Pennell DJ ( December 2006 ). `` Reference right ventricular systolic and diastolic function normalized to age, gender and body surface area from steady - state free precession cardiovascular magnetic resonance '' ( PDF ). European Heart Journal. 27 ( 23 ) : 2879 -- 88. doi : 10.1093 / eurheartj / ehl336. PMID 17088316. ^ Jump up to : Maceira A ( 2006 ). `` Normalized Left Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Function by Steady State Free Precession Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance ''. Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. 8 : 417 -- 426. doi : 10.1080 / 10976640600572889. ( subscription required ) ^ Jump up to : Normal ranges for heart rate are among the narrowest limits between bradycardia and tachycardia. See the Bradycardia and Tachycardia articles for more detailed limits. ^ Jump up to : `` Normal Hemodynamic Parameters -- Adult '' ( PDF ). Edwards Lifesciences LLC. 2009. Jump up ^ Table 30 - 1 in : Trudie A Goers ; Washington University School of Medicine Department of Surgery ; Klingensmith, Mary E ; Li Ern Chen ; Sean C Glasgow ( 2008 ). The Washington manual of surgery. Philadelphia : Wolters Kluwer Health / Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 0 - 7817 - 7447 - 0. Jump up ^ Ventricular pressure at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings ( MeSH ) Jump up ^ Salem R, Denault AY, Couture P, Bélisle S, Fortier A, Guertin MC, Carrier M, Martineau R ( September 2006 ). `` Left ventricular end - diastolic pressure is a predictor of mortality in cardiac surgery independently of left ventricular ejection fraction ''. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 97 ( 3 ) : 292 -- 7. doi : 10.1093 / bja / ael140. PMID 16835254. Jump up ^ Brenner JI, Baker KR, Berman MA ( October 1980 ). `` Prediction of left ventricular pressure in infants with aortic stenosis ''. British Heart Journal. 44 ( 4 ) : 406 -- 10. doi : 10.1136 / hrt. 44.4. 406. PMC 482419. PMID 7426202. Jump up ^ `` Aortic Stenosis : Overview - eMedicine Emergency Medicine ''. Retrieved 2009 - 02 - 28. Jump up ^ Redington AN, Gray HH, Hodson ME, Rigby ML, Oldershaw PJ ( January 1988 ). `` Characterisation of the normal right ventricular pressure - volume relation by biplane angiography and simultaneous micromanometer pressure measurements ''. British Heart Journal. 59 ( 1 ) : 23 -- 30. doi : 10.1136 / hrt. 59.1. 23. PMC 1277068. PMID 3342146. Jump up ^ van Dam I, van Zwieten G, Vogel JA, Meijler FL ( 1980 ). `` Left ventricular ( diastolic ) dimensions and relaxation in patients with atrial fibrillation ''. European Heart Journal. Suppl A : 149 -- 56. PMID 7274225. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Longitudinal fractional shortening and its relation to diastolic cardiac function. Journal : Journal of Medical Ultrasonics Publisher : Springer Japan ISSN 1346 - 4523 ( Print ) ISSN 1613 - 2254 ( Online ) Issue : volume 35, Number 3 / September, 2008 Category : Original Article doi : 10.1007 / s10396 - 008 - 0176 - 0 Pages : 113 - 118 Subject Collection : Medicine SpringerLink Date : Friday, September 19, 2008 Jump up ^ Grimsgaard S, Bønaa KH, Hansen JB, Myhre ES ( July 1998 ). `` Effects of highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on hemodynamics in humans ''. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 68 ( 1 ) : 52 -- 9. PMID 9665096. ^ Jump up to : Basavarajaiah S, Wilson M, Naghavi R, Whyte G, Turner M, Sharma S ( November 2007 ). `` Physiological upper limits of left ventricular dimensions in highly trained junior tennis players ''. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 41 ( 11 ) : 784 -- 8. doi : 10.1136 / bjsm. 2006.033993. PMC 2465269. PMID 17957014. ^ Jump up to : Page 41 in : O'Connor, Simon ( 2009 ). Examination Medicine ( The Examination ). Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 0 - 7295 - 3911 - 3. Jump up ^ Lang, Roberto M. ( 1985 ). `` Adverse Cardiac Effects of Acute Alcohol Ingestion in Young Adults ''. Annals of Internal Medicine. 102 ( 6 ) : 742. doi : 10.7326 / 0003 - 4819 - 102 - 6 - 742. ISSN 0003 - 4819. Jump up ^ chfpatients.com > Fractional Shortening ( FS ) Retrieved on April 7, 2010 Jump up ^ https://www.stanford.edu/group/ccm_echocardio/cgi-bin/mediawiki/index.php/Left_ventricle_size Jump up ^ de Simone G, Devereux RB, Roman MJ, Ganau A, Saba PS, Alderman MH, Laragh JH ( May 1994 ). `` Assessment of left ventricular function by the midwall fractional shortening / end - systolic stress relation in human hypertension ''. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 23 ( 6 ) : 1444 -- 51. doi : 10.1016 / 0735 - 1097 ( 94 ) 90390 - 5. PMID 8176105. ^ Jump up to : Ugander M, Carlsson M, Arheden H ( February 2010 ). `` Short - axis epicardial volume change is a measure of cardiac left ventricular short - axis function, which is independent of myocardial wall thickness ''. American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 298 ( 2 ) : H530 -- 5. doi : 10.1152 / ajpheart. 00153.2009. PMID 19933422. External links Photo of dissection at uc.edu Left Ventricle - Cell Centered Database Anatomy photo : 20 : 05 - 0102 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center Anatomy of the heart General Surface base apex sulci coronary interatrial anterior interventricular posterior interventricular borders right left Internal atria interatrial septum pectinate muscles terminal sulcus ventricles interventricular septum trabeculae carneae chordae tendineae papillary muscle valves cusps atrioventricular septum cardiac skeleton intervenous tubercle Chambers Right heart ( venae cavae, coronary sinus ) → right atrium ( atrial appendage, fossa ovalis, limbus of fossa ovalis, crista terminalis, valve of inferior vena cava, valve of coronary sinus ) → tricuspid valve → right ventricle ( infundibulum, moderator band / septomarginal trabecula, crista supraventricularis ), → pulmonary valve → ( pulmonary artery and pulmonary circulation ) Left heart ( pulmonary veins ) → left atrium ( atrial appendage ) → mitral valve → left ventricle → aortic valve ( aortic sinus ) → ( aorta and systemic circulation ) Layers Endocardium heart valves Myocardium Conduction system cardiac pacemaker SA node Bachmann 's bundle AV node bundle of His bundle branches Purkinje fibers Pericardial cavity pericardial sinus Pericardium fibrous pericardium sternopericardial ligaments serous pericardium epicardium / visceral layer fold of left vena cava Blood supply Circulatory system Coronary circulation Coronary arteries Physiology of the cardiovascular system Heart Cardiac output Cardiac cycle Cardiac output Heart rate Stroke volume Stroke volume End - diastolic volume End - systolic volume Afterload Preload Frank -- Starling law Cardiac function curve Venous return curve Wiggers diagram Pressure volume diagram Ultrasound Fractional shortening = ( End - diastolic dimension End - systolic dimension ) / End - diastolic dimension Aortic valve area calculation Ejection fraction Cardiac index Heart rate Cardiac pacemaker Chronotropic ( Heart rate ) Dromotropic ( Conduction velocity ) Inotropic ( Contractility ) Bathmotropic ( Excitability ) Lusitropic ( Relaxation ) Conduction Conduction system Cardiac electrophysiology Action potential cardiac atrial ventricular Effective refractory period Pacemaker potential Electrocardiography P wave PR interval QRS complex QT interval ST segment T wave U wave Hexaxial reference system Chamber pressure Central venous Right atrial ventricular pulmonary artery wedge Left atrial ventricular Aortic Other Ventricular remodeling Vascular system / Hemodynamics Blood flow Compliance Vascular resistance Pulse Perfusion Blood pressure Pulse pressure Systolic Diastolic Mean arterial pressure Jugular venous pressure Portal venous pressure Regulation of BP Baroreflex Kinin -- kallikrein system Renin -- angiotensin system Vasoconstrictors Vasodilators Autoregulation Myogenic mechanism Tubuloglomerular feedback Cerebral autoregulation Paraganglia Aortic body Carotid body Glomus cell Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ventricle_(heart)&oldid=834300502 '' Categories : Cardiac anatomy Cardiovascular physiology Hidden categories : Pages with unresolved properties Pages containing links to subscription - only content All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015 Use dmy dates from May 2012 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Беларуская Bosanski Català Eesti Emiliàn e rumagnòl Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Қазақша Kiswahili Latina Nederlands Norsk nynorsk Português Русский Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski 中文 18 more Edit links This page was last edited on 4 April 2018, at 23 : 42. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the primary role of the left ventricle of the heart
Answer: pumps blood into the systemic circulation through the aorta