Aortic Valve • Easy & Fast

In a healthy heart, the valve typically consists of three thin, half-moon-shaped flaps called leaflets or cusps .

Each leaflet is composed of three distinct layers: the fibrosa (aortic side, primarily collagen), the spongiosa (middle layer, shock-absorbing), and the ventricularis (ventricular side, rich in elastin). aortic valve

Directly behind each cusp are elliptical depressions in the aortic wall that house the openings ( ostia ) to the coronary arteries, ensuring the heart muscle receives its own blood supply during diastole. Function in the Cardiac Cycle In a healthy heart, the valve typically consists