The mitral or bicuspid valve is one of the four |valves| that keeps ~blood~ flowing through the |heart|. It is situated between the left atrium and left ~ventricle~ and opens and closes with every beat of the |heart|. The valve has two flaps tethered by fibrous cords (chordae tendineae) attached to papillary muscles in the apex of the ~ventricle~. The long chordae tendineae help stop it from flipping inside out. The mitral valve allows ~blood~ to flow from the atrium into the ~ventricle~, but prevents it from flowing in the opposite direction. When the |heart| muscle contracts, it squeezes ~blood~ through the atria and then through the ~ventricles~.
