The left AV valve is also known as what?

The left AV valve is also known as what?

• A. Tricuspid valve
• B. Bicuspid/Mitral valve
• C. Pulmonary valve
• D. Aortic valve

Answer: (B)

The left atrioventricular valve is the mitral valve. It’s called mitral (from its resemblance to a bishop’s mitre) and also known as bicuspid because it has two leaflets—anterior and posterior. This left AV valve sits between the left atrium and left ventricle and functions to allow blood to flow into the ventricle while preventing backflow into the atrium during contraction. Its leaflets are held by chordae tendineae to papillary muscles, which helps prevent valve prolapse as the ventricle contracts. This distinguishes it from the right AV valve (the tricuspid valve) and from the semilunar valves (pulmonary and aortic) that sit at the outflow tracts of the ventricles.

The left atrioventricular valve is the mitral valve. It’s called mitral (from its resemblance to a bishop’s mitre) and also known as bicuspid because it has two leaflets—anterior and posterior. This left AV valve sits between the left atrium and left ventricle and functions to allow blood to flow into the ventricle while preventing backflow into the atrium during contraction. Its leaflets are held by chordae tendineae to papillary muscles, which helps prevent valve prolapse as the ventricle contracts. This distinguishes it from the right AV valve (the tricuspid valve) and from the semilunar valves (pulmonary and aortic) that sit at the outflow tracts of the ventricles.