ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE HEART

The heart is the key organ of

the cardiovascular system – the
body’s transport system for
blood. A muscle that contracts
rhythmically and autonomously,
it works in conjunction with an
extensive network of blood
vessels running throughout the
body. Basically, the heart is a
pump ensuring the continuous
circulation of blood in the body.
This article describes the heart’s
anatomy and physiology. The heart weighs around 350g and is roughly the size of
an adult’s clenched fist. It is enclosed in the mediastinal cavity of the thorax
between the lungs, and extends downwards on the left between the second and fifth
intercostal space. If one draws an imaginary line from the middle of the left clavicle
down to below the nipple, this is where the most forceful part of the heart, the apex
beat, can be felt.

MEMBRANES

● The membrane that directly

surrounds the heart and defines
the pericardial cavity is called
the pericardium or pericardial
sac. It also surrounds the
“roots” of the major vessels, or
the areas of closest proximity to
the heart. The pericardium,
which literally translates as
“around the heart,” consists of
two distinct sublayers: the
sturdy outer fibrous pericardium
and the inner serous
pericardium. The fibrous
pericardium is made of tough, dense connective tissue that protects the heart
and maintains its position in the thorax. The more delicate serous pericardium
consists of two layers: the parietal pericardium, which is fused to the fibrous
pericardium, and an inner visceral pericardium, or epicardium, which is fused
to the heart and is part of the heart wall. The pericardial cavity, filled with
lubricating serous fluid, lies between the epicardium and the pericardium.