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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.

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Epicardial Outgrowth Culture Assay and Ex Vivo Assessment of Epicardial-derived Cell Migration

Epicardial Outgrowth Culture Assay and Ex Vivo Assessment of Epicardial-derived Cell Migration

Published on: March 18, 2016

Colonizing the heart from the epicardial side.

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA. nbursac@duke.edu

Stem Cell Research & Therapy

|May 2, 2012

Summary

Resident cardiac stem cells, including epicardium-derived mesenchymal stem cells, show promise for treating heart failure and myocardial infarction. These cells possess multilineage potential, offering exciting therapeutic possibilities for cardiac repair.

Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Biology
Regenerative Medicine
Stem Cell Biology

Background:

Stem cell therapies, including bone marrow-derived and cardiac stem cells, show promise for myocardial infarction and heart failure.
Epicardium-derived cells are recognized for angiogenic paracrine actions and differentiation potential during cardiac injury.

Discussion:

A recent study identified a distinct population of epicardium-derived mesenchymal stem cells within the heart's perivascular niche.
These cells exhibit broad multilineage potential, indicating a significant role in cardiac repair mechanisms.

Key Insights:

Discovery of a unique stem cell population in the cardiac perivascular niche.
Demonstration of broad multilineage potential in these epicardium-derived cells.

More Related Videos

The Isolation and Culture of Primary Epicardial Cells Derived from Human Adult and Fetal Heart Specimens

The Isolation and Culture of Primary Epicardial Cells Derived from Human Adult and Fetal Heart Specimens

Published on: April 24, 2018

In Vitro Culture of Epicardial Cells From Mouse Embryonic Heart

In Vitro Culture of Epicardial Cells From Mouse Embryonic Heart

Published on: April 27, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Epicardial Outgrowth Culture Assay and Ex Vivo Assessment of Epicardial-derived Cell Migration

Epicardial Outgrowth Culture Assay and Ex Vivo Assessment of Epicardial-derived Cell Migration

Published on: March 18, 2016

The Isolation and Culture of Primary Epicardial Cells Derived from Human Adult and Fetal Heart Specimens

The Isolation and Culture of Primary Epicardial Cells Derived from Human Adult and Fetal Heart Specimens

Published on: April 24, 2018

In Vitro Culture of Epicardial Cells From Mouse Embryonic Heart

In Vitro Culture of Epicardial Cells From Mouse Embryonic Heart

Published on: April 27, 2016

Outlook:

Further exploration of the therapeutic capacity of these specific stem cells is warranted.
Investigating their role in cardiac regeneration could lead to novel treatment strategies for heart disease.