The atrioventricular valves separate which heart chambers?

• A. Atrioventricular valves (between atria and ventricles)
• B. Aorta and ventricles
• C. Right and left atria
• D. Atria and ventricles

Answer: (A)

The atrioventricular valves separate the atria from the ventricles. There are two of them: the tricuspid valve between the right atrium and right ventricle, and the mitral valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. They open to let blood flow from the atria into the ventricles, and they close when the ventricles contract to prevent backflow into the atria. This distinction is different from the semilunar valves, which separate the ventricles from the great arteries.