Definition
As part of the “small” or pulmonary circulation, the right ventricle is located downstream of the right atrium (atrium dextrum) and pumps the oxygen-depleted blood into the pulmonary vessels, where it is again saturated with oxygen and then enters the body’s circulation via the left heart.
Anatomy
The heart lies rotated around its longitudinal axis in the left chest cavity, so that the right half of the heart lies more against the front chest wall (ventrally), while the left half of the heart points more backwards (dorsally). Various anatomical structures can be found within the chamber: The wall of the right ventricle is 3-4 mm thick, thinner than that of the left ventricle. This is due to the fact that the right heart has to pump against a much lower pressure, namely the pulmonary pressure prevailing in the lungs, which is less than 30 mmHg, while the left heart has to pump against the much higher pressure of the body’s circulation, which is usually about 120 mmHg, when the blood is ejected into the aorta.
The right ventricle is separated from the left ventricle by the ventricular septum (septum interventricular), the septum has a thickness of 5-10 mm.
- The inner surface of the right ventricle is smooth-walled in the area of the outflow tract, i.e. where the blood from the right ventricle enters the lung via the pulmonary trunk,
- The rest of the chamber is fissured by muscle bars (Trabeculae carneae). In addition, the papillary muscles of the tricuspid valve protrude into the interior of the ventricle, they are attached to the valve by tendon threads (chordae tendineae) and prevent them from striking back into the atrium during ventricular contraction.
Function
The heart is divided functionally into a left and a right heart. The right heart is part of the “small” circulation (pulmonary circulation). Via the superior and inferior vena cava (vena cava superior and inferior), the blood reaches the right atrium and from there via the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle.
After contraction of the right ventricle and opening of the pulmonary valve, the blood reaches the truncus pulmonalis, which transports the blood to the lungs, where it is saturated with oxygen. The heart action is roughly divided into two sections, diastole and systole. In the right heart, this cycle takes the following dimensions: This cardiac action consisting of systole and diastole occurs synchronously in the left ventricle.
- During diastole, the muscles of the ventricle are relaxed. The AV valve (i.e. the valve between the atrium and the ventricle, in the right heart the tricuspid valve) is opened and the ventricle is filled with blood.
- Systole is the phase of tension. The AV valve is closed so that no blood flows from the ventricle back into the atrium during the subsequent tension (contraction) of the ventricle. In the contraction phase, the systole, the pulmonary valve is also closed, so the blood remains in the chamber for the time being. As soon as the pressure in the chamber, which is created by the contraction of the muscles, is high enough, the pulmonary valve is opened and the blood flows out of the chamber into the pulmonary tract.
