Heart Valve Movement

Author: Scott A. Sheffield MS

Last update:

Introduction to the Movement of the Heart Valves:

The four heart valves open and close in response to pressure changes that occur in the ventricles during each cardiac cycle.

When the ventricles relax, their pressures drop below those of the atria, pulmonary trunk artery, and aorta.

This allows the image descriptionAV valves to open as their cusps passively drop downward. The pressure change additionally permits blood flow into the ventricles from the atria without restriction.

AV valves opening animation slide 1
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The AV valves opening allowing blood to flow into the ventricles.

The image descriptionsemilunar valves close during this same period as blood flowing toward the ventricles collects in the pockets of the cusps. Closure of the semilunar valves prevents blood from re-entering the ventricles while they are relaxing.

Semilunar valves closing animation slide 1
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The semilunar valves closing preventing blood from re-entering the ventricles.
  • After filling with blood, the ventricles contract, and their rising pressure force blood up toward the atria and into the pulmonary trunk artery and aorta.

Take your heart anatomy studies a step further with these free heart diagrams, worksheets and quizzes. 

Blood pushing up under the cusps causes image descriptionatrioventricular valves to close. As a result, blood enter the atria from the pulmonary veins but not from the ventricles.

AV valves closing animation slide 1
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Blood pushing up under the cusps causing the atrioventricular valves to close.

At the same time, rising pressure in the pulmonary trunk artery and aorta forces the image descriptionsemilunar valves to open and blood to flow into the systemic and pulmonary circulatory system.

Semilunar valves opening animation slide 1
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Rising pressure in the pulmonary trunk artery and aorta forcing the semilunar valves open.

When the ventricles begin to relax, pressure in the chambers drop again, and a image descriptionnew cardiac cycle begins.

Movement of the heart valves animation slide 1
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A new cardiac cycle beginning again.
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