In the human heart, which valve lies between the left atrium and left ventricle?
Answer
Mitral valve
The mitral valve lies between the left atrium and left ventricle of the human heart.
It is also called the bicuspid valve because it usually has two leaflets. During ventricular contraction, the valve closes to stop blood from flowing back into the left atrium. During ventricular relaxation and filling, it opens so oxygen-rich blood can pass from the atrium into the ventricle.
The valve leaflets are attached by chordae tendineae to papillary muscles. These supporting structures help prevent the leaflets from turning inside out when pressure rises in the ventricle. The left ventricle then ejects blood through the aortic valve into the aorta.
The tricuspid valve occupies the corresponding position on the right side of the heart. The pulmonary and aortic valves are semilunar valves located at the exits of the ventricles, not between an atrium and a ventricle.