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introductionstatpearls· Introduction· item NBK547706

The heart is a four-chambered organ hemodynamically functioning as a reservoir and a pump; it receives deoxygenated blood from the systemic circulation through the superior and inferior vena cava in the right atrium and oxygenated blood from the lung via the four pulmonary veins. The heart pumps deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs and at the same time pumps oxygenated blood from the left ventricle into the aorta. These processes are orchestrated by the electric conduction system which coordinates the rhythmic contractions of the atria and ventricles, and the opening and closure of the heart valves. The heart valves are especially important to effectively maintain the systolic and diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle. There are two types of heart valves; the atrioventricular valves (mitral, tricuspid) and the semilunar valves (aortic and pulmonic). The pulmonic valve physically separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary trunk. While there is more literature on the other heart valves, little is known about the intricate function of the pulmonary valve and its role in various disorders.