Which valve is between the right atrium and the right ventricle?

Which valve is between the right atrium and the right ventricle?

• A. Tricuspid valve
• B. Bicuspid valve
• C. Pulmonary semilunar valve
• D. Aortic semilunar valve

Answer: (A)

Understanding where valves sit helps you follow blood flow through the heart. The valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle is the tricuspid valve. It opens to allow blood to move from the right atrium into the right ventricle during atrial contraction, and closes as the ventricle contracts to prevent blood from flowing back into the atrium. It has three cusps that attach to chordae tendineae anchored by papillary muscles, which keep the valve from prolapsing during ventricular contraction. The bicuspid (mitral) valve is between the left atrium and left ventricle, not involved on the right side. The pulmonary semilunar valve sits at the outflow of the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery, preventing backflow into the ventricle after it pumps to the lungs. The aortic semilunar valve is at the outflow of the left ventricle into the aorta, serving the systemic circulation. Semilunar valves have a crescent-shaped cusp structure and function to prevent backflow into the ventricles during relaxation, but they’re located at the heart’s great vessel exits rather than between atria and ventricles.

Understanding where valves sit helps you follow blood flow through the heart. The valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle is the tricuspid valve. It opens to allow blood to move from the right atrium into the right ventricle during atrial contraction, and closes as the ventricle contracts to prevent blood from flowing back into the atrium. It has three cusps that attach to chordae tendineae anchored by papillary muscles, which keep the valve from prolapsing during ventricular contraction.

The bicuspid (mitral) valve is between the left atrium and left ventricle, not involved on the right side. The pulmonary semilunar valve sits at the outflow of the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery, preventing backflow into the ventricle after it pumps to the lungs. The aortic semilunar valve is at the outflow of the left ventricle into the aorta, serving the systemic circulation. Semilunar valves have a crescent-shaped cusp structure and function to prevent backflow into the ventricles during relaxation, but they’re located at the heart’s great vessel exits rather than between atria and ventricles.