Ventricle (heart)
A ventricle is one of two large chambers located toward the bottom of the heart that collect and expel blood towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs.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.[citation needed] 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.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.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.Maximum capacity pumping volume extends from ~25 liters/min for non-athletes to as high as ~45 liters/min for Olympic level athletes.[citation needed] The most severe form of arrhythmia is ventricular fibrillation which is the most common cause of cardiac arrest and subsequent sudden death.
Red = aortic pressure
Blue = left ventricular pressure
Yellow = left atrial pressure.
Anatomical terminologypumpedatriuminterventricular septumintraventricular blockhumansdouble circulatory systempulmonary circulationsystemic circulationblood pressurestrabeculae carneaeconus arteriosuspapillary muscleschordae tendinaetricuspid valvemitral valvemagnetic resonance imagingsternocostalventricular septumapex of the heartsystolediastoleleft atriumaortic valvepulmonary veinspulmonary valvecardiologyend-diastolic volumeend-systolic volumestroke volumeejection fractionWiggers diagramcardiac cycleHeart rateCardiac outputL/minuteCentral venous pressureRight ventricular pressurePulmonary artery pressurePulmonary capillary wedge pressureLeft ventricular pressureblood pressureaortic pressureaortic stenosisone-dimensionalM-Mode echocardiographysonomicrometrylongitudinal planeluminalprediction intervalfractionanatomical planearrhythmiairregular heartbeatSA nodePurkinje fibrespremature ventricular contractionsventricular tachycardiaventricular escape beatventricular fibrillationcardiac arrestsudden deathVentricular septal defectAtrioventricular septal defectbradycardiatachycardiaMedical Subject Headingscoronaryinteratrialanterior interventricularposterior interventricularinteratrial septumpectinate musclesterminal sulcuschordae tendineaepapillary musclevalvesatrioventricular septumcardiac skeletonintervenous tubercleRight heartvenae cavaecoronary sinusright atriumatrial appendagefossa ovalislimbus of fossa ovaliscrista terminalisvalve of inferior vena cavavalve of coronary sinusright ventricleinfundibulummoderator band/septomarginal trabeculacrista supraventricularispulmonary arteryLeft heartleft ventricleaortic sinusEndocardiumheart valvesMyocardiumConduction systemcardiac pacemakerBachmann's bundleAV nodebundle of Hisbundle branchesPurkinje fibersPericardial cavitypericardial sinusPericardiumfibrous pericardiumsternopericardial ligamentsserous pericardiumepicardium/visceral layerfold of left vena cavaCirculatory systemCoronary circulationCoronary arteriesPhysiology of the cardiovascular systemAfterloadPreloadFrank–Starling lawCardiac function curveVenous return curvePressure volume diagram