It is also also called the Mitral valve or the left auriculo-ventricular valve.
It is located in the left side of the heart in between the left auricle and the left ventricle.
It allows the unidirectional flow of blood,that is, from left auricle to left ventricle.
It prevents the back flow of blood, that from left ventricle to left auricle.
The left side of the heart,that is, the left auricle and left ventricle, carries the oxygenated blood from the pulmonary vein (which empties into the left auricle) into the aorta (which begins from the left ventricle). The aorta supplies the oxygenated blood to the entire body.
The valve is a membranous structure made up of a anteromedial cusp and the posterolateral cusp.
While the anteromedial cusp occupies larger area, the posterolateral cusp has larger surface area.
These valve cusps are prevented from collapsing into the left auricle by the help of inelastic tendon filaments called Chordae tendineae.
The Chordae tendineae attaches itself to the valve cusps on one end and the finger-like projections located on the left ventricular wall called the papillary muscles on the other end.
A fibrous ring-like structure called the Annulus also remain attached to the valve cusps. It helps in the complete closure of the cusps during ventricular systole.
During late ventriculardisatole in the left side of the heart, the bicuspid valve in between the left auricle and left ventricle opens causing the oxygenated blood to flow from the left auricle to the left ventricle.
After getting filled with blood the ventricular systole starts when the ventricles begins to contract. In the left side of the heart, the pressure generated in the left ventricle during the process causes the cusps of the bicuspid valve to close. This prevents the back flow of blood from left ventricle to left auricle.
Blood flows from our body to the right atrium, then from right atrium to the right ventricle. Then from left ventricle, pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood from right ventricle to lungs for oxygenation, where carbon dioxide is exchanged with oxygen. Two pulmonary veins come from each lung and pass this oxygen-rich blood to left atrium of heart. Then blood enters left ventricle from the left atrium. There are valves in the heart which prevent back flow of blood. Bicuspid (mitral) valve prevent back flow of blood from left ventricle to left atrium.
