The left ventricle of the heartThe left ventricle is one of the four hollow chambers of the heart. Being the largest chamber, it is oval in shape and occupies most of the left lateral and anterior planes of the heart. It also occupies much of the apex of the heart. The walls of the left ventricle are denser and stronger than those of the right ventricle. The thicker walls of the left ventricle support the enormous workload of pumping blood at high pressure out of the heart. When the left atrium contracts, the mitral valve opens, which releases oxygen-rich blood stored in the left ventricle. The left ventricle fills with this blood, then contracts forcefully and the aortic valve opens. The left ventricle pushes blood through the aortic valve into the aorta where it leaves the heart and is distributed throughout the body. For this reason the left ventricle is an important part of the systemic circulation process. For the heart to function properly, the functions of the left ventricle must also function properly. It should relax quickly after each contraction so that the oxygenated blood stored in the left atrium can quickly fill it. On the other hand, it should also contract quickly and with a lot of force to push this vital blood into the aorta. The force and pressure of the left ventricle must be strong enough to overcome the aortic pressure so that the blood is pushed forward. Left ventricular pressure must also be strong enough to stretch the aorta to accommodate sudden increases in blood volume. To maintain the body's needs, the left ventricle must be able to quickly adapt its pumping capacity signaled by the nervous system. For example, the left ventricle should increase its pumping capacity, as reported by b... middle of paper... transplant may be the only option. Works Cited http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/starthere/a/chambersvalves_4.htm http://www.skillstat.com/heartscape/chambers.htm#leftventricle http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/ faculty/michael. Gregory/files/bio%2 0102/bio%20102%20lectures/circulator%20system/circulat.htmhttp://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/shock/shock_causes.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/Left_ventriclehttp: //your-doctor.com/healthin focenter/medical-conditions/cardiovascular/conductiontutorial.htmlhttp://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Disseases/hhw/hhw_electrical.htmlhttp: //www.healthcommunities.com/pacemaker/what-is-a- pacemaker.shtm lhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/left-ventricular-hypertrophy/DS00680http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main /art.asp?articlekey=78969http://wiki.answers.com/Q/ Is_reversible_left_ventricular_hypertrophy