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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...

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...

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.

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 6, 2026

3D Whole-heart Myocardial Tissue Analysis

3D Whole-heart Myocardial Tissue Analysis

Published on: April 12, 2017

A heart within a heart.

Edward T Carreras¹, Maya Barghash¹, Michael M Givertz¹

¹Heart & Vascular Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions : Official Journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions

|March 16, 2017

Summary

A rare coronary artery anomaly was found in a heart transplant patient. The left coronary artery originated unusually, forming a heart shape with the right coronary artery.

Keywords:

angiography coronary coronary anomaly transplantation

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Author Spotlight: Advancing Human Cardiac Anatomy Through Multi-Scale Analysis of Hearts

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Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026

3D Whole-heart Myocardial Tissue Analysis

3D Whole-heart Myocardial Tissue Analysis

Published on: April 12, 2017

Dissection Techniques and Histological Sampling of the Heart in Large Animal Models for Cardiovascular Diseases

Dissection Techniques and Histological Sampling of the Heart in Large Animal Models for Cardiovascular Diseases

Published on: June 16, 2022

Author Spotlight: Advancing Human Cardiac Anatomy Through Multi-Scale Analysis of Hearts

Author Spotlight: Advancing Human Cardiac Anatomy Through Multi-Scale Analysis of Hearts

Published on: June 28, 2024

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Congenital Heart Anomalies
Cardiac Transplantation

Background:

A 44-year-old male recipient of an orthotopic cardiac transplant 14 years prior underwent coronary angiography.
The procedure was a prerequisite for re-operative tricuspid valve replacement.

Observation:

Coronary angiography revealed an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery.
A common coronary trunk originated from the right coronary cusp.
This trunk bifurcated into the right and left main coronary arteries.

Findings:

The anomalous right and left coronary arteries coursed in a unique configuration.
The anatomical course resembled the shape of a heart.
This created a rare 'heart within a heart' appearance.

Implications:

This case highlights the importance of recognizing rare coronary artery anomalies post-transplant.
Understanding such variations is crucial for surgical planning and patient management.
The findings contribute to the literature on congenital coronary artery variations.