Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Layers of the Heart Wall

Layers of the Heart Wall

The heart wall comprises three distinct layers: the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium. The outermost layer, the epicardium, is the visceral layer of the serous pericardium, featuring a thin, transparent mesothelial surface and an inner layer of areolar connective tissue with fat deposits that increase with age.
The myocardium, the thickest layer, consists of cardiac muscle cells interconnected by intercalated discs and crisscrossing connective tissue fibers. These muscle fibers contract...

The Sarcomere

The Sarcomere

A sarcomere is a microscopic segment repeating in a myofibril. The sarcomere fundamentally consists of two main myofilaments: thick filaments called myosin and thin filaments called actin. These filaments interact by sliding past each other in response to stimulus. In addition to myosin and actin, several other proteins, such as tropomyosin, troponin, titin, nebulin, myomesin, α-actinin, and dystrophin, play crucial roles in regulating, structuring, and functioning of the sarcomere.
Each myosin...

Structure of Cardiac Muscles

Structure of Cardiac Muscles

Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is a specialized type of muscle found exclusively in the heart. Its unique structural and functional characteristics enable the heart to perform its vital role of pumping blood throughout the body continuously and rhythmically. The cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, possess an endomysium and perimysium but do not have an epimysium.
Compared to skeletal muscles, cardiac muscle cells are small and mostly have a single nucleus. Additionally, they are usually...

Myocarditis I: Introduction

Myocarditis I: Introduction

Myocarditis is inflammation of the myocardium, which is the muscular layer of the heart.EtiologyMyocarditis has a diverse etiology, including a wide range of infectious and non-infectious causes:Infectious CausesViral: Common viruses include Coxsackie A and B, adenovirus, parvovirus B19, enteroviruses, and influenza A.Bacterial: Examples include infections caused by Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Mycoplasma species.Rickettsial: Infections like Rocky Mountain spotted fever can result in...

Coronary Circulation

Coronary Circulation

The heart, an organ critical to survival, gets nourishment not from the blood it pumps but from a separate circulation system known as coronary circulation. This is the shortest circulation in the body and is responsible for supplying the heart with the nutrients it needs to function effectively.
Coronary circulation begins at the base of the aorta, where two main arteries arise—the left and right coronary arteries. These arteries encircle the heart in the coronary sulcus and supply the...

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.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Relapsing polychondritis in a patient treated with Dupilumab.

ARP rheumatology·2026

Same author

Animal models of spinal cord injury in neuro-urological research.

Nature reviews. Urology·2026

Same author

Early multimodal neuromonitoring is associated with outcomes in critically ill patients with hemorrhagic stroke.

Frontiers in neurology·2026

Same author

Chronotype-based radiotherapy in localised prostate cancer: protocol for a prospective cohort integrating MCTQ and salivary DLMO.

Clinical and translational radiation oncology·2026

Same author

The Person Behind the Crime: Life Stories of Women and Men Who Committed Sexual Crimes.

Sexual abuse : a journal of research and treatment·2026

Same author

A Phase I trial of the anti-IL23 monoclonal antibody tildrakizumab, in combination with abiraterone acetate, for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Investigational new drugs·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Ultrasonic Assessment of Myocardial Microstructure

Ultrasonic Assessment of Myocardial Microstructure

Published on: January 14, 2014

The myocardial band.

Manel Ballester¹, Ana Ferreira, Francesc Carreras

¹University of Lleida, Barcelona, Spain. mballesterr@comll.cat

Heart Failure Clinics

|July 5, 2008

Summary

Spanish cardiologist Paco Torrent-Guasp discovered the heart's ventricular myocardium is a single muscular band with a double-loop helical structure. This unique anatomy explains the twist-untwist motion during heartbeats.

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Cardiac Anatomy
Biomedical Engineering

Background:

The intricate structure of the ventricular myocardium has long been a subject of study.
Understanding cardiac mechanics is crucial for diagnosing and treating heart conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the structural basis of ventricular myocardial function.
To explain the mechanism behind the twist-untwist motion of the ventricles.

Main Methods:

Anatomical investigation of the ventricular myocardium.
Analysis of the myocardial band's helical orientation and twist.

Main Results:

The ventricular myocardium is composed of a single muscular band with a double-loop helical structure.

More Related Videos

Simultaneous Brightfield, Fluorescence, and Optical Coherence Tomographic Imaging of Contracting Cardiac Trabeculae Ex Vivo

Simultaneous Brightfield, Fluorescence, and Optical Coherence Tomographic Imaging of Contracting Cardiac Trabeculae Ex Vivo

Published on: October 2, 2021

Tissue Preparation Techniques for Contrast-Enhanced Micro Computed Tomography Imaging of Large Mammalian Cardiac Models with Chronic Disease

Tissue Preparation Techniques for Contrast-Enhanced Micro Computed Tomography Imaging of Large Mammalian Cardiac Models with Chronic Disease

Published on: February 8, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Ultrasonic Assessment of Myocardial Microstructure

Ultrasonic Assessment of Myocardial Microstructure

Published on: January 14, 2014

Simultaneous Brightfield, Fluorescence, and Optical Coherence Tomographic Imaging of Contracting Cardiac Trabeculae Ex Vivo

Simultaneous Brightfield, Fluorescence, and Optical Coherence Tomographic Imaging of Contracting Cardiac Trabeculae Ex Vivo

Published on: October 2, 2021

Tissue Preparation Techniques for Contrast-Enhanced Micro Computed Tomography Imaging of Large Mammalian Cardiac Models with Chronic Disease

Tissue Preparation Techniques for Contrast-Enhanced Micro Computed Tomography Imaging of Large Mammalian Cardiac Models with Chronic Disease

Published on: February 8, 2022

This band extends from the pulmonary artery to the aorta, featuring a 180-degree twist.

The twist-untwist motion is attributed to agonist-antagonist mechanics within the band segments.

Conclusions:

The helical structure of the ventricular myocardial band is fundamental to cardiac function.
This anatomical discovery provides a new framework for understanding ventricular mechanics.