Which valves are connected by chordae tendineae?

Which valves are connected by chordae tendineae?

• A. Tricuspid and Aortic
• B. Mitral and Pulmonic
• C. Tricuspid and Mitral
• D. Aortic and Pulmonic

Answer: (C)

Chordae tendineae anchor the leaflets of the atrioventricular valves—the tricuspid on the right and the mitral on the left—to papillary muscles inside the ventricles. This connection prevents the valve leaflets from bulging backward into the atria when the ventricle contracts, ensuring one-way blood flow. Semilunar valves, like the aortic and pulmonic valves, lack chordae tendineae and operate by cusp closure driven by pressure changes. So the valves connected by chordae tendineae are the tricuspid and mitral valves.

Chordae tendineae anchor the leaflets of the atrioventricular valves—the tricuspid on the right and the mitral on the left—to papillary muscles inside the ventricles. This connection prevents the valve leaflets from bulging backward into the atria when the ventricle contracts, ensuring one-way blood flow. Semilunar valves, like the aortic and pulmonic valves, lack chordae tendineae and operate by cusp closure driven by pressure changes. So the valves connected by chordae tendineae are the tricuspid and mitral valves.