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Related Concept Videos

Anatomy of the Heart01:20

Anatomy of the Heart

The heart is a hollow, muscular organ approximately the size of a fist, consisting of four chambers. It is enclosed in the pericardium, a fibrous sac with two layers: the visceral and parietal pericardium, separated by a fluid-filled space containing serous fluid to reduce friction.
The heart has three layers: the innermost endocardium, the muscular myocardium, and the outer epicardium, all working together for optimal cardiac function.
Chambers of the Heart
The heart is made up of four...
Anatomy of the Heart01:27

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.
Chambers of the Heart01:16

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...
Development of the Heart01:27

Development of the Heart

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.
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...
Location and Orientation of the Heart01:13

Location and Orientation of the Heart

The human heart, despite its modest size and weight, is an organ of remarkable strength and endurance. Roughly the size of a fist, the heart weighs between 250 and 350 grams and is nestled within the mediastinum, the medial cavity of the thorax. It extends obliquely for about 12 to 14 cm, resting on the superior surface of the diaphragm. The heart is positioned anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum, with two-thirds of its mass lying to the left of the midsternal line.
Heart Valves01:16

Heart Valves

The human heart is a complex organ with an intricate system of valves that regulate blood flow. There are two main types of valves: atrioventricular (AV) valves and semilunar valves.
The AV valves prevent the backflow of blood from the ventricles to the atria during ventricular contraction. These valves function with the assistance of the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles. When the ventricles are relaxed, the chordae tendineae are slack, allowing blood to flow from the atria into the...

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Dissection Techniques and Histological Sampling of the Heart in Large Animal Models for Cardiovascular Diseases
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Dissection Techniques and Histological Sampling of the Heart in Large Animal Models for Cardiovascular Diseases

Published on: June 16, 2022

Anatomy of the python heart.

Bjarke Jensen1, Jens R Nyengaard, Michael Pedersen

  • 1Zoophysiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Aarhus University, Building 1131, 130, Universitetsparken, 8000 Ã…rhus C, Denmark. bjarke.jensen@biology.au.dk

Anatomical Science International
|April 9, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pythons possess unique cardiac structures for intracardiac pressure separation, featuring a reduced cavum venosum and specialized connective tissue pads. This anatomical adaptation in python hearts is key to their high-pressure systems.

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2D and 3D Echocardiography in the Axolotl (Ambystoma Mexicanum)

Published on: November 29, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Comparative anatomy
  • Cardiovascular physiology
  • Herpetology

Background:

  • Squamate reptile hearts typically have two atria and an incompletely divided ventricle.
  • Ventricles are generally subdivided into cavum arteriosum, cavum venosum, and cavum pulmonale.
  • Pythons exhibit unique intracardiac pressure separation, distinguishing them from other snakes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a detailed anatomical description of cardiac structures enabling functional pressure separation in pythons.
  • To investigate the morphology and morphometrics of ventricular chambers in python hearts.
  • To explore the relationship between cardiac morphology and pressure separation in reptiles.

Main Methods:

  • Gross morphological analysis through dissection of 13 ball pythons (Python regius) and 1 Burmese python (P. molurus).
  • Measurement of ventricular chamber masses and volumes.
  • Histological examination of ventricular septa and specialized cardiac tissues.

Main Results:

  • Pythons have a significantly reduced cavum venosum (approx. 10% of cavum arteriosum).
  • The high-pressure cavum arteriosum comprises ~75% of ventricular mass and is denser than the cavum pulmonale.
  • Unique connective tissue pads are present at pressure separation sites, alongside compact myocardium in septa.

Conclusions:

  • Python hearts possess specialized anatomical features, including connective tissue pads and compact myocardium, facilitating intracardiac pressure separation.
  • The reduced cavum venosum and dense cavum arteriosum are critical for managing high-pressure systemic circulation.
  • Intraventricular compact myocardium may serve as an indicator for high-pressure systems and pressure separation in reptiles, as seen in varanid lizards.