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Location and Orientation of the Heart

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.

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.

Anatomy of the Heart

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...

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...

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 Cardiac Cycle

The Cardiac Cycle

The heart beats rhythmically in a sequence called the cardiac cycle—a rapid coordination of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole).
The Process
Electrical signals—sent from the sinoatrial (SA) node in the right atrial wall to the atrioventricular (AV) node between the right atrium and right ventricle—cause both atria to simultaneously contract. When the signal reaches the AV node, it pauses for approximately a tenth of a second, allowing the atria to contract and empty blood into the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Ultrasound-guided Transthoracic Intramyocardial Injection in Mice

Ultrasound-guided Transthoracic Intramyocardial Injection in Mice

Published on: August 5, 2014

A bullet wandering through the heart.

Erica Maffei¹, Igino Spaggiari, Teresa Arcadi

¹Department of Radiology, Cardiology, and Cardiac Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy.

Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

|May 1, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A gunshot caused penetrating chest trauma in a young male. The bullet migrated from the left ventricle to the lung parenchyma, as revealed by imaging studies.

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Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Ultrasound-guided Transthoracic Intramyocardial Injection in Mice

Ultrasound-guided Transthoracic Intramyocardial Injection in Mice

Published on: August 5, 2014

3D Whole-heart Myocardial Tissue Analysis

3D Whole-heart Myocardial Tissue Analysis

Published on: April 12, 2017

Isolation and Identification of Extravascular Immune Cells of the Heart

Isolation and Identification of Extravascular Immune Cells of the Heart

Published on: August 23, 2018

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Thoracic Surgery
Radiology

Background:

Penetrating chest trauma from gunshot wounds presents complex diagnostic and management challenges.
Accurate localization of foreign bodies, such as bullets, is critical for surgical planning and patient outcomes.

Observation:

A young male sustained a gunshot wound with initial bullet localization to the left ventricle lateral wall via CT scan.
The bullet was not identified during surgical exploration.
Post-operative conventional X-ray revealed bullet migration into the lung parenchyma.

Findings:

Initial imaging (X-ray and CT) accurately detected the bullet but failed to predict its subsequent migration.
Surgical intervention based on initial localization was unsuccessful due to bullet displacement.
Conventional X-ray was effective in identifying the bullet's new location within the lung.

Implications:

This case highlights the potential for bullet migration after penetrating cardiac trauma, complicating surgical management.
It underscores the importance of serial imaging in cases of retained foreign bodies following thoracic injuries.
Radiological surveillance is crucial for detecting unexpected foreign body displacement and guiding subsequent treatment strategies.