A relative of yours has recently been diagnosed with mitral regurgitation, a heart condition where the...

A relative of yours has recently been diagnosed with mitral regurgitation, a heart condition where the mitral valve does not function as it normally should. Your relative knows you are studying human physiology and asks you the importance of valves in heart function.

a) Describe the pathway of blood flow through the heart starting from the vena cava and ending at the aorta. Include in your answer the role of the valves in ensuring the one-way direction of blood flow
b) From your knowledge on the normal role of the mitral valve, what are two potential complications that could arise as a result of mitral regurgitation?

Expert Solution

a)Heart is an organ that has four chambers and four valves with multiple blood vessels. It helps the flow of blood through a series of steps and thus moves blood through heart. This blood is oxygenated in the lungs and this blood delivers oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and brings back to heart to start the cycle again. This forms the cardiovascular system. The two upper chambers in the heart is called left atrium and right atrium and the two lower chambers are called left ventricle and right ventricle.The four valves in heart are mitral valve with two cusps that is located between left atrium and left ventricle. Tricuspid valve located between right atrium and right ventricle. Aortic valve located between left ventricle and the aorta (largest artery). Pulmonary valve located between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery (only artery that carries deoxygenated blood)

The blood flow starts by the flow of un- oxygenated blood entering the heart through Superior and inferior vena cava. The superior vena cava blood vessel carries blood from head and chest area to heart and inferior vena cava deliver blood from lower regions of human body. Blood then enters right atrium and flows through tricuspid valve. This valve helps to stop backflow of blood from right ventricle back to right atrium. This valve opens when ventricle is relaxes. Thus blood reaches right ventricle. This blood is squeezed through pulmonary valve. This valve helps to move blood out of heart via pulmonary artery and reaches lungs to oxygenate the blood. Then through the pulmonary vein blood enters the left atrium. Blood flows through mitral valve. The mitral valve helps to move blood to left ventricle by opening the cusp during half heart beat and help to stop the backflow of blood during the other half of heart beat. The blood reaches left ventricle and when it contracts it is flowed through aortic valve. This valve allows blood to exit left ventricle to aorta and is pumped throughout the body.

b)Mitral regurgitation is a condition in which the mitral or bicuspid valve of the heart does not close completely to stop the backflow of blood into left atrium. This affects the blood flow through heart. This may be caused by different reasons such as tissue cord damage, rheumatic fever, heart attack, any abnormalities in muscles of heart etc. Depending on the severity of condition a person with this condition shows symptoms like abnormal heart murmur sound, dyspnea or shortness of breath, palpitations, fatigue etc. The possible complication of this condition is heart failure that is resulted when enough blood is not pumped for proper functioning of body. Left ventricle weakens due to backflow of blood. Pressure buildup in lungs also happens due to this and fluid accumulates.All this resulting in heart failure. Another complication is Atrial fibrillation.This is caused by enlargement of left atrium due to backflow of blood. This may result in blood clots that causes a serious problem.Other complication that may be possible if left untreated is pulmonary hypertension. High blood pressure can be developed in the left atrium and eventually increases pulmonary pressure affecting the blood vessels in lungs. The right part of heart fails with this complication.

Sydney Mullin answered 1 year ago

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