Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
The pressures at three moments are given in mm Hg. In each case, say which of the two valves is open: the valve between the atrium and the ventricle, or the valve between the ventricle and the artery.
The heart has four chambers, the tricuspid valve on the right, the bicuspid (mitral) valve on the left, and semilunar valves at the pulmonary artery and the aorta. A valve opens when the pressure behind it is higher than the pressure in front of it. The SAN is the pacemaker, at about beats a minute. The signal goes SAN, AVN, AV bundle, right and left bundles, Purkinje fibres.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) The atrium () is above the ventricle (), so the valve between them is open. The ventricle is below the artery (), so the other valve is shut. Blood fills the ventricle.
Step 2. (b) The ventricle () is above the atrium (), so the valve between them is shut. It is also above the artery (), so the semilunar valve is open. Blood is pumped out.
Step 3. (c) The ventricle () is above the atrium (), so the first valve is shut. It is below the artery (), so the second valve is shut too. Both valves are shut.
Answer: (a) atrium to ventricle open; (b) ventricle to artery open; (c) both shut.
Check. The two valves are never open together.
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