Heart-lung transplantation

Heart ventricle refers to one of the two large chambers at the bottom of the heart. The heart has two ventricles: the left ventricle and the right ventricle. They play a crucial role in the circulatory system by pumping blood to the body's organs and tissues.

Anatomy

The heart is a four-chambered organ with two atria at the top and two ventricles at the bottom. The ventricles are larger and stronger than the atria, as they are responsible for pumping blood out of the heart to the rest of the body.

The right ventricle receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium and pumps it to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. In the lungs, the blood picks up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide, a process known as gas exchange.

The left ventricle, on the other hand, receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium and pumps it to the rest of the body through the aorta, the largest artery in the body. The left ventricle's walls are thicker than those of the right ventricle, as it needs to generate enough pressure to push blood through the entire systemic circulation.

Function

The primary function of the heart ventricles is to pump blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. This is achieved through a process known as the cardiac cycle, which consists of two main phases: diastole and systole.

During diastole, the ventricles relax and fill with blood. This is followed by systole, during which the ventricles contract and pump blood out of the heart. The right ventricle sends blood to the lungs, while the left ventricle sends blood to the rest of the body.

Health Conditions

Several health conditions can affect the heart ventricles, including ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure, and ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular hypertrophy is a condition characterized by the thickening of the ventricular walls, while heart failure occurs when the ventricles can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Ventricular fibrillation is a serious heart rhythm problem that can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden death.

See Also

• Heart
• Cardiac cycle
• Circulatory system
• Heart disease