The aortic valve is one of the semilunar
valves of the heart.
It consists of three pockets shaped like half-moons.
It's function is to prevent blood that is leaving the heart via the left
ventricle (into the aorta),
from flowing backwards and so re-entering the heart.
This is extremely important because backflow of blood through an incompletely
closed valve such as the aortic valve (a condition known
as "regurgitation") can lead to congestive heart failure. That is a
situation in which the heart can
no-longer
pump enough blood out to supply the body's needs for oxygen. |
