Definition

Noun: A heart ventricle is one of the two lower chambers of the heart. Its primary function is to receive blood from an upper chamber (the atrium) and then pump it out to either the lungs or the rest of the body.

Usage

The term "heart ventricle" is used in anatomical, medical, and biological contexts to specify a key pumping chamber of the heart. - The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the body through the aorta. - The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery.

Examples

• The left heart ventricle has a thicker muscular wall than the right because it must generate more force to pump blood throughout the entire body.
• During a heartbeat, the heart ventricle contracts (systole) to eject blood and then relaxes (diastole) to fill with blood again.
• An echocardiogram can show how well the heart ventricle is functioning.

Advanced Usage

• Ventricular function: Refers to how effectively a ventricle pumps blood. Impaired ventricular function is a sign of heart failure.
• Ventricular fibrillation: A serious cardiac arrhythmia where the ventricles quiver uselessly instead of pumping, which is life-threatening.

Variants and Related Words

• Ventricle (noun): Often used alone in medical contexts to mean "heart ventricle."
• Ventricular (adjective): Relating to a ventricle (e.g., ventricular septum, ventricular pressure).
• Left ventricle / Right ventricle: The two specific ventricles.

Synonyms

• Cardiac ventricle
• Pumping chamber (less precise, descriptive term)

Related Phrases

• Ventricular hypertrophy: The thickening of the ventricle's wall.
• Ventricular assist device (VAD): A mechanical pump that helps a failing ventricle do its work.

Notes

The word "ventricle" alone can also refer to cavities in other organs, such as the brain. Therefore, in precise anatomical language, "heart ventricle" specifies the cardiac structure.

Noun

1. a chamber of the heart that receives blood from an atrium and pumps it to the arteries