From http://your-doctor.com/healthinfocenter/medical-conditions/cardiovascular/heartpump-tutorial.html

"Blood returning to the heart from the body (venous blood that has already had oxygen taken from it) enters the right atrium. Blood flows and is pumped from the right atrium across the open tricuspid valve into the right ventricle.

As the right ventricle starts to contract the tricuspid valve closes (blood can only be pumped forward) the pulmonic valve opens and blood pumped into the pulmonary arteries. These arteries carry blood to the lungs to be oxygenated.

Oxygenated blood is returned to the heart by pulmonary veins. This oxygenated blood enters the left atrium. Blood from the left atrium flows across an open mitral valve to enter the left ventricle. As the left ventricle starts to contract the mitral valve closes and the aortic valve opens as blood is pumped across it into the aorta.The aorta and arteries that branch from it carry blood to the entire body. The left ventricle is the largest and most forcefully contracting chamber of the heart. It must pump oxygen rich blood to the whole body."

Check out Heart Contraction and Blood Flow
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hhw/hhw_pumping.html
Source(s):
http://your-doctor.com


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