Functions of Fossa Ovalis
In the normal heart, the fossa ovalis performs the prevention of blood flow, i.e. blocking the circulation of blood, across the interatrial septum. The interatrial septum contains the fossa ovalis and includes only 20% of the entire septum. A flap of tissue called the septum primum acts as a valve over the fossa ovalis. It is the only area through which the interatrial septum can be traversed without the risk of cardiac perforation.
After birth, the intake of air into the lungs causes a drop in the pressure in the pulmonary circulatory system. This pressure change pushes the septum primum against the atrial septum, closing the foramen. The septum primum and atrial septum eventually combine together to form a complete seal, forming a depression called the fossa ovalis. Two years later after birth around 75% of people have a completely sealed fossa ovalis. The unsealed ones are known as patent foramen ovale. A small slit-like valvular opening is usually found, at the upper margin of the fossa ovalis, leading upward beneath the limbus, into the left atrium; it is the remains of the fetal aperture the foramen ovale between the two atria
Fossa Ovalis
The heart is a muscular organ that circulates blood through the circulatory/vascular systems around the body. It assists in the distribution of oxygen to every region of the body. The heart is shaped like a quadrangular pyramid, with the anterior thoracic wall at its apex and the posterior thoracic wall at its base. It is split into two halves by a septum or partition. Four chambers are created by further dividing these sections. It is situated in the middle of the mediastinum and is surrounded by the pericardium, a two-layered sac filled with fluid. Electrical impulses generated by this muscle cause the heart to beat and pump blood throughout the body. The large blood vessels that branch out from the heart supply blood to the upper and lower limbs, thorax, and belly. The cardiovascular system of the body is made up of the heart and the circulatory system.
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