Pulmonic valve -
| The cardiac valves keep the
blood moving in the right direction through the heart. The pulmonic valve
regulates the opening between the right ventricle and the pulmonary
artery. (The pulmonary artery carries oxygen-poor blood into the
lungs. After the blood has become oxygenated in the lungs, it
returns to the left side of the heart, where it is propelled to the rest
of the body.) As the right ventricle contracts, the pulmonic valve opens,
allowing blood to eject into the pulmonary artery. When the
ventricle is finished beating, the pulmonic valve closes, thereby
preventing a backwash of blood ("regurgitation") into the right
ventricle.
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