Left Ventricle - Function

Function

For excellence of health, the left ventricular muscle must:

  • (a) relax very rapidly after each contraction so as to fill rapidly with oxygenated blood flowing from the lung veins, i.e. diastolic relaxation and filling.
  • (b) contract rapidly and forcibly to force the majority of this blood into the aorta, overcoming the much higher aortic pressure and the extra pressure required to stretch the aorta and other major arteries enough to expand and make room for the sudden increase in blood volume, i.e. systolic contraction and ejection.
  • (c) be able to rapidly increase or decrease its pumping capacity under nervous system control.

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