Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Location and Orientation of the Heart01:13

Location and Orientation of the Heart

5.2K
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.
5.2K
Overview of the Heart01:07

Overview of the Heart

7.7K
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...
7.7K
Chambers of the Heart01:16

Chambers of the Heart

6.2K
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...
6.2K
Anatomy of the Heart01:27

Anatomy of the Heart

112.0K
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.
112.0K
The Cardiac Cycle01:13

The Cardiac Cycle

91.5K
The heart beats rhythmically in a sequence called the cardiac cycle—a rapid coordination of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole).
The Process
Electrical signals—sent from the sinoatrial (SA) node in the right atrial wall to the atrioventricular (AV) node between the right atrium and right ventricle—cause both atria to simultaneously contract. When the signal reaches the AV node, it pauses for approximately a tenth of a second, allowing the atria to contract and...
91.5K
Development of the Heart01:27

Development of the Heart

1.3K
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...
1.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Solid-State NMR Approaches to Study Protein Structure and Protein-Lipid Interactions.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
Same author

Moving NMR infrastructures to remote access capabilities.

Progress in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy·2026
Same author

Membrane interactions of designed cyclic RW peptides by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes·2026
Same author

Mechanism of Action and Membrane Interactions of Antibacterial Quaternized Triazolium Peptoids.

Journal of medicinal chemistry·2025
Same author

Structural and dynamics of apoA-1 mimetic peptide lipid nanodisc assemblies: A molecular dynamics study.

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes·2025
Same author

Structure and Dynamics of the Magainin 2 Antimicrobial Peptide in Biomimetic Lipid Bilayers by Solid-State NMR.

Biochemistry·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Whole-Mount Immunofluorescence Staining, Confocal Imaging and 3D Reconstruction of the Sinoatrial and Atrioventricular Node in the Mouse
05:16

Whole-Mount Immunofluorescence Staining, Confocal Imaging and 3D Reconstruction of the Sinoatrial and Atrioventricular Node in the Mouse

Published on: December 22, 2020

5.9K

Where the heart beats.

Burkhard Bechinger1

  • 1University of Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177 Chemistry Institute, Membrane Biophysics and NMR, Strasbourg, France; Institut Universitaire de France, 75005 Paris, France.

Structure (London, England : 1993)
|March 4, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers detailed the structure and dynamics of DWORF, a small protein that activates the cardiac calcium pump SERCA. This work used advanced NMR spectroscopy and simulations to understand this key muscle protein.

More Related Videos

Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts
12:10

Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts

Published on: September 16, 2009

12.4K
Remote Magnetic Navigation for Accurate, Real-time Catheter Positioning and Ablation in Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedures
09:13

Remote Magnetic Navigation for Accurate, Real-time Catheter Positioning and Ablation in Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedures

Published on: April 21, 2013

28.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Whole-Mount Immunofluorescence Staining, Confocal Imaging and 3D Reconstruction of the Sinoatrial and Atrioventricular Node in the Mouse
05:16

Whole-Mount Immunofluorescence Staining, Confocal Imaging and 3D Reconstruction of the Sinoatrial and Atrioventricular Node in the Mouse

Published on: December 22, 2020

5.9K
Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts
12:10

Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts

Published on: September 16, 2009

12.4K
Remote Magnetic Navigation for Accurate, Real-time Catheter Positioning and Ablation in Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedures
09:13

Remote Magnetic Navigation for Accurate, Real-time Catheter Positioning and Ablation in Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedures

Published on: April 21, 2013

28.0K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • The sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) is a crucial ion pump in muscle contraction.
  • DWORF (Downstream of ROC1) is a small, intrinsically disordered protein that modulates SERCA activity.
  • Understanding DWORF's structure and mechanism is vital for cardiac function research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the structure, topology, and dynamics of the small membrane protein DWORF.
  • To investigate how DWORF interacts with and regulates the SERCA pump.
  • To provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of cardiac muscle regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Oriented solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
  • Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
  • Biochemical assays to assess SERCA activity modulation.

Main Results:

  • Determined the high-resolution structure and topology of DWORF in a membrane-associated state.
  • Revealed dynamic properties of DWORF, including conformational flexibility.
  • Demonstrated DWORF's role as a SERCA activator through structural and functional data.

Conclusions:

  • DWORF's structure is key to its function as a SERCA regulator.
  • The study provides a structural basis for DWORF-mediated SERCA activation in cardiac muscle.
  • This research advances our understanding of calcium handling in muscle physiology.