Home > Community > What prevents backflow of blood from right atrium to vena cava during atrial systole
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Lawrence Stewart

What prevents backflow of blood from right atrium to vena cava during atrial systole

Connie Adams  Follow

Pressure differences. Atrial contractions are much more gentle than ventricular ones, and in normal circulation the venous pressure in the vena cava often stays higher than the right atrium, even during atrial systole. If the pressure in the atrium does rise above the vena cava pressure at the peak of systole, there can be some backflow, although it is slight and brief in normal physiology.

The major veins are typically somewhat distended so they are constantly pushing blood into the right atrium. Blood continues to flow from the veins into the right atrium and from the right atrium into the right ventricle throughout ventricular diastole, including during most of atrial systole.

References:

Anderson, R. M. (1993). The gross physiology of the cardiovascular system. Robert M. Anderson.

Wexler, L., Bergel, D. H., Gabe, I. T., Makin, G. S., & Mills, C. J. (1968). Velocity of blood flow in normal human venae cavae. Circulation Research, 23(3), 349-359.

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Guy D. McCardle  Follow
I agree with you but regurgitation of blood do take place.More
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George Tetreault  Follow
@BryanKrause I have studied this in anatomy class, I can search later for a citation in the internet if you wish. It does close, and even if it doesn't close completely the passage, it turns it much thinner, meaning much less blood can pass through it an só the blood will go the other way - to the ventricle. It's both this system and the different pressures that you talked about that contribute to the prevention of backflow to the vena cavaMore
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Francois Leyvraz  Follow
. Thanks! :smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes:More
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Ian Yates  Follow
Venous pressure increases during atrial systole, can we say it is due to backflow of blood?More
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Ferguson Frankland  Follow
Welcome to Biology.SE! Please elaborate on your answer by providing references. For more information on how to provide good answers on this site, please see: More
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