Aortic valve
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Aortic valve
The aortic valve separates the lower left chamber (left ventricle) of the heart and the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
The aortic valve works like a one-way gate, opening so that blood from the left ventricle—the heart's main pump—can be pushed into the aorta. When the heart rests between beats, the aortic valve closes to keep blood from flowing backward into the heart.
Credits
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
| Last updated: | May 25, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman |
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