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Related Concept Videos

Development of the Heart01:27

Development of the Heart

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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...
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Layers of the Heart Wall01:15

Layers of the Heart Wall

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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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Location and Orientation of the Heart01:13

Location and Orientation of the Heart

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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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Chambers of the Heart01:16

Chambers of the Heart

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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...
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Anatomy of the Heart01:27

Anatomy of the Heart

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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.
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Development of Blood Vessels01:07

Development of Blood Vessels

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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...
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En Face Endocardial Cushion Preparation for Planar Morphogenesis Analysis in Mouse Embryos
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The pericardium forms as a distinct structure during heart formation.

Hannah R Moran1, Obed O Nyarko2, Rebecca O'Rourke1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
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Summary

The pericardium, a sac supporting heart function, originates from anterior mesothelial progenitors in the lateral plate mesoderm, separate from the heart field. This discovery clarifies heart development and links pericardial stiffness to pediatric cardiomyopathies.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The pericardium, a mesothelial sac, is crucial for heart function, homeostasis, and immune responses.
  • Its precise developmental origins have been unclear due to conflicting models.
  • Understanding pericardium development is key to understanding heart morphogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the developmental origins of the pericardium.
  • To identify the progenitor cells and developmental pathways of the pericardium.
  • To investigate the link between pericardial properties and pediatric cardiomyopathies.

Main Methods:

  • Live imaging and lineage tracking in zebrafish.
  • Single-cell transcriptomics of lateral plate mesoderm.
  • Machine learning-assisted cell tracking and atomic force microscopy in neonatal rats.

Main Results:

  • The pericardium arises from dedicated anterior mesothelial progenitors within the lateral plate mesoderm, distinct from the cardiac heart field.
  • Pericardial precursors migrate and fuse to form the pericardial cavity independently of heart tube formation.
  • Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates pericardial cell number, and disrupted Wnt signaling contributes to pericardial stiffness, linked to pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy.

Conclusions:

  • Pericardium formation is an independent developmental process integrated into heart morphogenesis.
  • Disrupted pericardial tissue properties, such as increased stiffness, are associated with pediatric cardiomyopathies.
  • This study provides a new framework for understanding pericardium development and its role in cardiac disease.