Right Ventricle:The lower right chamber of the heart. During the normal cardiac cycle, the right ventricle receives deoxygenated blood as the right atrium contracts. During this process the pulmonary valve is closed, allowing the right ventricle to fill. Once both ventricles are full, they contract. As the right ventricle contracts, the tricuspid valve closes and the pulmonary valve opens. The closure of the tricuspid valve prevents blood from returning to the right atrium, and the opening of the pulmonary valve allows the blood to flow into the pulmonary artery toward the lungs for oxygenation of the blood
The right and left ventricles contract simultaneously; however, because the right ventricle is thinner than the left, it produces a lower pressure than the left when contracting. This lower pressure is sufficient to pump the deoxygenated blood the short distance to the lungs.