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Development of the Heart

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The development of the human heart, a crucial organ, commences from the mesoderm on the 18th or 19th day after fertilization. This process initiates in the cardiogenic area, a group of mesodermal cells at the embryo's head end, which evolves into elongated strands known as cardiogenic cords. These cords undergo a transformation to form hollow-centered endocardial tubes.
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The normal cardiac rhythm is a synchronized electrical activity that facilitates the regular and coordinated contraction of the heart muscle. This process is essential for efficient blood circulation throughout the body. The fundamental elements involved in establishing and maintaining this rhythm include the unique electrical properties of cardiac muscle cells, the sinoatrial (SA) node's pacemaker function, the specialized conducting system, and the ionic mechanisms underlying each phase of...

Anatomy of the Heart

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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Imaging Cleared Embryonic and Postnatal Hearts at Single-cell Resolution

Imaging Cleared Embryonic and Postnatal Hearts at Single-cell Resolution

Published on: October 7, 2016

Genetic insights into normal and abnormal heart development.

¹Department of Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa ON, Canada K1N 6N5. mona.nemer@ircm.qc.ca

Cardiovascular Pathology : the Official Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology

|December 28, 2007

Summary

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are common birth defects. Understanding heart development reveals genetic causes of CHDs, improving prevention and diagnosis.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Genetics
Pediatrics

Background:

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect 1-2% of newborns, causing significant infant mortality.
CHDs are the most common class of birth defects, representing 25% of all congenital abnormalities.
Epidemiologic studies confirm the heritable nature of CHDs, yet few causative genes are identified.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge of cardiac development.
To illustrate how studying heart development aids in understanding the genetic basis of CHDs.
To explore how these insights can improve prevention, diagnosis, and care for CHDs.

Main Methods:

Review of molecular and genetic analyses of heart development.
Identification of essential cardiac regulators and associated mutations.
Elucidation of transcription factor mechanisms in heart growth.

Main Results:

Analysis of heart development has identified key cardiac regulators.
Mutations in these regulators are linked to human CHDs.
Understanding transcription factor function provides a molecular framework for heart growth.

Conclusions:

Advances in understanding cardiac development are crucial for identifying CHD-causing genes.
This knowledge offers a molecular basis for normal and abnormal heart growth.
Translating these findings can lead to enhanced prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of congenital heart disease.