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( Left atrium)
The left atrium is one of the four chambers in the human heart. It receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary veins, and pumps it into the left ventricle, via the bicuspid valve. Blood is pumped through the left atrioventricular orifice, which contains the bicuspid or mitral valve. A normal left atrium may be up to 5.5cm in maximum diameter; any larger than this is a sign of cardiac failure. This may occur in cases of mitral regurgitation. The left atrium of a human faces more or less posteriorly. It is named 'left' based on the chamber's embryological and (putative) evolutionary origin. The term 'base' of the heart sometimes refers to the left atrium, though 'base' is an ambiguous term. Attached to the left atrium is the left auricular appendix (auricle). This auricle is a common site for formation of thrombi, which may embolise causing stroke or ischemic gut. Atrial fibrillation makes this more likely.
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Left atrium Subcategories
Left atrium Articles
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