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Old 10-20-2004, 01:10 PM   #1
pdiggitydogg
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Meanwhile, up in The D...
Age: 42
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question on the heart's valves

Why does the side of the heart that pumps blood through the entire body have only 2 flaps on the AV valve, when the side that only pumps blood around the lungs has 3?
Wouldnt the side that has 3 smaller flaps be more efficient?
(Both AV valves are equal in size.)

The pulmonary side (lungs) having the 3 flaps to the AV valve has more papillary muscles to prevent blood backflow (from ventrical to atrium). It seems silly because that side has less pressure to begin with, since blood only travels so far.
The circulatory side's ventrical is 4-5x the size of the pulmonaries...shouldnt it have more papillaries? Shouldnt it have 3 flaps to the valve?

Just curious
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