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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...

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...

Development of Blood Vessels

Development of Blood Vessels

The development of the vascular system in a fetus is a complex and intricate process that begins as early as 15 to 16 days post-conception. This process starts outside the embryo, specifically in the mesoderm of the yolk sac, chorion, and connecting stalk. Approximately two days later, the formation of blood vessels occurs within the embryo itself.
The initial formation of this system is facilitated by the small amount of yolk present in the ovum and yolk sac. Blood vessels originate from...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Generating Self-Assembling Human Heart Organoids Derived from Pluripotent Stem Cells

Generating Self-Assembling Human Heart Organoids Derived from Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: September 15, 2021

Development of the human heart.

Marieke F J Buijtendijk¹, Phil Barnett¹, Maurice J B van den Hoff¹

¹Department of Medical Biology, AmsterdamUMC location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part C, Seminars in Medical Genetics

|February 13, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Recent molecular genetic analyses enhance understanding of cardiac development. Further research is needed to understand congenital heart malformations and gene regulatory networks.

Keywords:

cardiac development cardiac growth epicardial development septation valve development

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Last Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Generating Self-Assembling Human Heart Organoids Derived from Pluripotent Stem Cells

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En Face Endocardial Cushion Preparation for Planar Morphogenesis Analysis in Mouse Embryos

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Imaging Cleared Embryonic and Postnatal Hearts at Single-cell Resolution

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Published on: October 7, 2016

Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Biology
Developmental Biology
Molecular Genetics

Background:

A 2014 review detailed cardiac development stages, including myocardial growth and electrical system formation.
Subsequent molecular genetic lineage analyses have improved identification of cardiac components by unique molecular phenotypes.

Purpose of the Study:

To update the understanding of cardiac development by focusing on molecular mechanistic revelations.
To highlight the persistent gaps in knowledge regarding congenital cardiac malformations.

Main Methods:

Review and synthesis of recent molecular genetic, cell biological, and genetic analyses.
Building upon previous comprehensive reviews of cardiac development.

Main Results:

Significant advancements in understanding the developmental origins and molecular mechanisms of cardiac components.
Identification of specific molecular phenotypes for various heart parts.

Conclusions:

Despite progress, the etiology of congenital heart malformations remains largely unknown.
Future research should employ advanced molecular genetic techniques to explore gene regulatory networks in normal and abnormal cardiac development.