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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...

Heart Valves

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...

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 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.

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...

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Visualizing the Beating Heart in Drosophila

Visualizing the Beating Heart in Drosophila

Published on: September 28, 2009

The dancing heart.

J D Richardson¹, A J Turley¹, R A Wright²

¹Cardiothoracic Division, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK.

European Heart Journal. Acute Cardiovascular Care

|December 3, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A large pericardial effusion in a palliative breast cancer patient caused electrical alternans, an unusual electrocardiogram finding. This rare phenomenon occurs due to the heart

Keywords:

Electrical alternans echocardiography pericardial effusion

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Visualizing the Beating Heart in Drosophila

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Published on: September 28, 2009

Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts

Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts

Published on: September 16, 2009

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Published on: May 8, 2021

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Oncology
Medical Imaging

Background:

Palliative care for advanced breast cancer.
Dyspnoea as a presenting symptom.

Observation:

Unusual electrocardiogram (ECG) findings.
Alternating electrical axis on ECG.

Findings:

Echocardiogram revealed a large pericardial effusion.
Pericardial effusion causing electrical alternans.

Implications:

Illustrates the mechanism of electrical alternans.
Highlights importance of echocardiography in dyspnoea.
Connects cardiac tamponade to oncology symptoms.