Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
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.
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.
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...
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...
Layers of the Heart Wall01:15

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Osr1 orchestrates posterior second heart field cell migration for outflow tract formation.

Communications biology·2025
Same author

Matrix interactions regulate epithelial polarity and cohesion in the second heart field.

Developmental cell·2025
Same author

On the cusps of the second heart field: insights from zebrafish into arterial valve origins and disease.

Cardiovascular research·2024
Same author

Single-cell morphometrics reveals T-box gene-dependent patterns of epithelial tension in the Second Heart field.

Nature communications·2024
Same author

Publisher Correction: Participation of ventricular trabeculae in neonatal cardiac regeneration leads to ectopic recruitment of Purkinje-like cells.

Nature cardiovascular research·2024
Same author

Participation of ventricular trabeculae in neonatal cardiac regeneration leads to ectopic recruitment of Purkinje-like cells.

Nature cardiovascular research·2024
Same journal

Building a resilient ovarian reserve: Early soma-oocyte interactions.

Current topics in developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Role of macrophages in testis function.

Current topics in developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Role of retinoic acid in meiosis.

Current topics in developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Impact of cancer immunotherapies on oocyte health and ovarian function.

Current topics in developmental biology·2026
Same journal

The ovarian stroma as a key regulator of follicular development and gamete quality across the reproductive lifespan.

Current topics in developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Intercellular cyclic nucleotide dynamics mediate oocyte meiosis in mammalian preovulatory follicles.

Current topics in developmental biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

In Vitro Generation of Heart Field-specific Cardiac Progenitor Cells
09:29

In Vitro Generation of Heart Field-specific Cardiac Progenitor Cells

Published on: July 3, 2019

The second heart field.

Robert G Kelly1

  • 1Developmental Biology Institute of Marseilles-Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7288, Marseilles, France.

Current Topics in Developmental Biology
|March 28, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The second heart field (SHF) comprises cardiac progenitor cells crucial for heart development. Understanding SHF regulation and evolution offers insights into congenital heart defects and vertebrate heart evolution.

More Related Videos

Generation of First Heart Field-like Cardiac Progenitors and Ventricular-like Cardiomyocytes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
08:37

Generation of First Heart Field-like Cardiac Progenitors and Ventricular-like Cardiomyocytes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: June 19, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 23, 2026

In Vitro Generation of Heart Field-specific Cardiac Progenitor Cells
09:29

In Vitro Generation of Heart Field-specific Cardiac Progenitor Cells

Published on: July 3, 2019

Generation of First Heart Field-like Cardiac Progenitors and Ventricular-like Cardiomyocytes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
08:37

Generation of First Heart Field-like Cardiac Progenitors and Ventricular-like Cardiomyocytes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: June 19, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Cardiovascular research
  • Evolutionary biology

Background:

  • The second heart field (SHF) is a population of cardiac progenitor cells originating from pharyngeal mesoderm.
  • These multipotent cells are essential for forming major parts of the amniote heart, contributing to myocardium, smooth muscle, and endothelial cells.
  • SHF development research significantly advances understanding of cardiac progenitor cell properties and congenital heart defect origins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent data on the regulation, clinically relevant subpopulations, evolution, and lineage relationships of the SHF.
  • To highlight the role of SHF in cardiac development and congenital heart disease.
  • To explore the evolutionary significance and broader lineage connections of SHF.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature and data concerning SHF development.
  • Analysis of intercellular signaling pathways and transcriptional regulatory networks controlling SHF proliferation and differentiation.
  • Examination of SHF presence and function across different vertebrate species.

Main Results:

  • SHF cells progressively contribute to the elongating heart tube during looping morphogenesis.
  • Intercellular signaling pathways and transcriptional networks regulate SHF proliferation and differentiation.
  • SHF development is implicated in common congenital heart defects, with specific subpopulations being clinically relevant.
  • SHF has been identified in diverse vertebrate embryos (amphibian, fish, agnathan), underscoring its evolutionary importance.
  • SHF-derived cardiac tissues share lineage with craniofacial skeletal muscles, indicating a broad cardiocraniofacial progenitor field.

Conclusions:

  • The SHF is a fundamental component of vertebrate heart development with significant evolutionary implications.
  • Understanding SHF regulation and lineage is critical for addressing congenital heart defects.
  • Further investigation into SHF deployment mechanisms will yield deeper insights into cardiac development and pathology.