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Chambers of the Heart

Chambers of the Heart

The human heart is a complex organ made up of four chambers: the right and left atria and the right and left ventricles. These internal chambers are separated by partitions known as the interatrial and interventricular septa. The exterior of the heart features a groove known as the coronary sulcus that demarcates the atria from the ventricles, while the anterior and posterior interventricular sulci distinguish between the two ventricles.
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...

Anatomy of the Heart

Anatomy of the Heart

The human heart is made up of three layers of tissue that are surrounded by the pericardium, a membrane that protects and confines the heart. The outermost layer, closest to the pericardium, is the epicardium. The pericardial cavity separates the pericardium from the epicardium. Beneath the epicardium is the myocardium, the middle layer, and the endocardium, the innermost layer. There are four chambers of the heart: the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium, and the left ventricle.

Overview of the Heart

Overview of the Heart

The heart, a muscular organ located in the chest, functions as the body's pump, circulating blood through the vascular system. It has four chambers: two atria on top and two ventricles below. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body and passes it to the right ventricle, which pumps it to the lungs for oxygenation. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and transfers it to the left ventricle, which pumps it to the rest of the body.
The heart's structure...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death

A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death

Published on: June 6, 2025

Two donor hearts beat in one chest.

Shu-Hsun Chu¹, Kuan-Ming Chiu, Tzu-Yu Lin

¹Departments of Cardiovascular Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei County 220, Taiwan. shc@mail.femh.org.tw

Texas Heart Institute Journal

|July 12, 2007

Summary

Heterotopic heart transplantation of a marginal donor heart successfully rescued a patient experiencing orthotopic graft failure. This innovative approach utilizing two donor hearts offers a life-saving option for transplant recipients.

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A Standardized Pig to Macaque Heterotopic Heart Xenotransplantation Model

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A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death

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Published on: June 6, 2025

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Published on: November 4, 2025

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Transplantation Immunology
Surgical Innovation

Background:

End-stage dilated cardiomyopathy presents significant challenges for heart transplantation.
Orthotopic heart transplantation requires careful donor-recipient matching and graft assessment.

Observation:

A patient with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy and type-A blood underwent orthotopic heart transplantation with a type-A donor heart.
Post-transplant graft failure occurred, necessitating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
A marginal donor heart (type-O, lacerated right ventricle) became available for rescue.

Findings:

A heterotopic heart transplant was performed using the marginal donor heart, leaving the initial orthotopic graft in situ.
Postoperative biopsies revealed mild-to-moderate rejection in both donor hearts.
The patient survived for over 6 years with two independently beating donor hearts.

Implications:

Heterotopic transplantation of a marginal donor heart can be a viable rescue strategy for orthotopic graft failure.
This case demonstrates the potential of utilizing suboptimal donor hearts in complex transplant scenarios.
Dual-heart transplantation may offer a life-extending solution for critically ill patients.