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

Chambers of the Heart

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...

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...

Anatomy of the Brain: Ventricles

Anatomy of the Brain: Ventricles

There are hollow fluid-filled cavities known as ventricles deep inside the human brain. There are two lateral ventricles, one in each cerebral hemisphere, and each has three different projections — the anterior, inferior, and posterior horns visible from the lateral side. A thin membrane called the septum pellucidum separates the two lateral ventricles. The slender third ventricle in the diencephalon is connected to each lateral ventricle via a channel called the interventricular foramen. The...

Development of the Heart

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...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Advocacy at the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.

Cardiology in the young·2023

Same author

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: A New Paradigm for an Old Disease?

Journal of cardiovascular development and disease·2019

Same author

Airway Compression by a Right Aortic Arch in the Absence of a Vascular Ring.

World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery·2019

Same author

The Fate of the Outflow Tract Septal Complex in Relation to the Classification of Ventricular Septal Defects.

Journal of cardiovascular development and disease·2019

Same author

Recognition of the Specialised Conducting Tissues.

Seminars in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery·2019

Same author

Why do we break one of the first rules of anatomy when describing the components of the heart?

Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.)·2019

Same journal

Pioneering Cardiac Surgical Outcomes Research in the Brazilian Amazon: Data Challenges, Methodological Choices, and the Value of First Regional Evidence.

World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery·2026

Same journal

Mechanical Mitral Valve Replacement in Patients Under 18 Years of Age.

World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery·2026

Same journal

In-Hospital Mortality in Children Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery in North Brazil: Methodological Considerations on RACHS-1 Interpretation.

World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery·2026

Same journal

Acute Severe Left Atrioventricular Valve Regurgitation Secondary to Spontaneous Rupture of Chordae Tendinae in a Patient with Down Syndrome.

World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery·2026

Same journal

Integration of the Korean and World Databases for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery: A Model for Global Registry Collaboration.

World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery·2026

Same journal

Prostaglandin Administration and Outcomes in Children on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Anatomy and Function in Adult Rats

Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Anatomy and Function in Adult Rats

Published on: December 13, 2019

Anatomy of functionally single ventricle.

James L Wilkinson¹, Robert H Anderson

¹Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

World Journal for Pediatric & Congenital Heart Surgery

|June 28, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Univentricular hearts, or single ventricles, involve abnormal connections where atria connect to only one ventricle. Functionally univentricular hearts also include cases where one ventricle is underdeveloped, preventing biventricular circulation.

Keywords:

congenital double-inlet ventricle heart defects terminology univentricular heart ventricular morphology

More Related Videos

Murine Fetal Echocardiography

Murine Fetal Echocardiography

Published on: February 15, 2013

3D Modeling of the Lateral Ventricles and Histological Characterization of Periventricular Tissue in Humans and Mouse

3D Modeling of the Lateral Ventricles and Histological Characterization of Periventricular Tissue in Humans and Mouse

Published on: May 19, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 10, 2026

Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Anatomy and Function in Adult Rats

Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Anatomy and Function in Adult Rats

Published on: December 13, 2019

Murine Fetal Echocardiography

Murine Fetal Echocardiography

Published on: February 15, 2013

3D Modeling of the Lateral Ventricles and Histological Characterization of Periventricular Tissue in Humans and Mouse

3D Modeling of the Lateral Ventricles and Histological Characterization of Periventricular Tissue in Humans and Mouse

Published on: May 19, 2015

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Congenital Heart Disease
Pediatric Cardiology

Background:

Univentricular hearts, previously termed single ventricles, are characterized by a univentricular atrioventricular connection.
These hearts often possess two ventricular chambers, with one being underdeveloped and lacking an inlet component.
The atria connect solely to the dominant, larger ventricle in most cases.

Purpose of the Study:

To clarify the definition and scope of functionally univentricular hearts.
To differentiate between true univentricular connections and functionally univentricular states due to hypoplasia.

Main Methods:

Review of existing definitions and classifications of congenital heart malformations.
Analysis of anatomical and functional characteristics of hearts with single or underdeveloped ventricles.

Main Results:

The term "functionally single ventricle" (or functionally univentricular heart) encompasses hearts with a true univentricular atrioventricular connection.
It also includes hearts with biventricular connections where one ventricle is hypoplastic, precluding biventricular circulation.

Conclusions:

A unified definition of functionally univentricular hearts is proposed, integrating different etiological categories.
This classification aids in understanding and managing complex congenital heart conditions.