This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Atrioventricular valves (embryology)

Authoring team

The atrioventricular valves of the heart develop in the region of the atrioventricular orifice by:

  • the growth of subendocardial mesenchymal tissue that is contiguous with the lateral and inferior endocardial cushions
  • the action of the flow of blood on the ventricular surface:
    • it acts to 'hollow out' the mesenchyme so that just flaps - early valve leaflets - are left in contact with the atrioventricular orifices
    • the edges of the leaflets are initially connected to the ventricular wall by muscular fibres, but gradually the muscle becomes replaced from the valve edges by connective tissue - this leads to the adult arrangement in which papillary muscles are connected to the valves by the fibrous chordae tendineae.

This process occurs on both sides of the dividing ventricle to produce three leaflets for the tricuspid valve on the right side and two leaflets for the mitral valve on the left side.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.