Exercise 14: The Heart

Part I: Cardiac Anatomy

1. Gross Anatomy of the Heart

• Heart Wall Layers
o Epicardium/visceral pericardium
o Myocardium
o Endocardium
• Apex
• Base
• Chambers
o Right and left atrium
 Auricles
 Pectinate muscles
 Opening of coronary sinus in R. atrium
o Right and left ventricles
 Papillary muscles
 Trabeculae carneae
• Interventricular septum
• Superior vena cava
• Inferior vena cava
• Pulmonary trunk
o Right pulmonary artery
o Left pulmonary artery
• Right pulmonary vein
• Left pulmonary vein
• Aortic arch
• Chordae tendineae
• Valves
o Pulmonary semilunar valve
o Aortic semilunar valve
o Right AV valve/tricuspid
o Left AV valve/bicuspid/mitral valve
• Fetal remnants
o Fossa ovalis (formerly the foramen ovale)
o Ligamentum arteriosum (formerly the ductus arteriosus)

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 aorta

superior vena cava left pulmonary artery

right pulmonary artery
left atrium
pulmonary trunk left pulmonary veins
right pulmonary
pericardial cavity veins bicuspid valve

right atrium aortic valve

endocardium fibrous fossa ovalis
pericardium tricuspid valve pulmonary valve
myocardium left ventricle
right ventricle
parietal papillary muscle
chordae tendineae
layer
trabiculae carneae interventricular septum

epicardium moderator epicardium

band myocardium
inferior endocardium
vena cava

Figure 14.1 Heart Layers Figure 14.2 Internal Heart

• Coronary arteries
o Left coronary artery
 Anterior interventricular artery
 Circumflex artery
o Right coronary artery
 Posterior interventricular artery
 Marginal artery
• Cardiac veins
o Great cardiac vein
o Coronary sinus
o Middle cardiac vein
o Small cardiac vein

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 A B
brachiocephalic trunk left common carotid artery
left subclavian artery aorta superior vena cava
superior vena cava
aortic arch right pulmonary artery
ligamentum arteriosum left pulmonary artery
right pulmonary artery
right pulmonary veins
left pulmonary artery left pulmonary veins
ascending aorta
left pulmonary auricle of left atrium right atrium
pulmonary trunk
veins
right pulmonary left atrium inferior vena cava
auricle of left atrium
circumflex branch
veins coronary sinus
circumflex artery of left coronary
right atrium small cardiac vein
great cardiac vein
left coronary artery
right coronary artery posterior right coronary artery
anterior cardiac vein left ventricle vein posterior interventricular
right ventricle artery
great cardiac vein left
right marginal artery ventricle middle cardiac vein
anterior
small cardiac vein right ventricle
interventricular artery
inferior vena cava
apex apex

Figure 14.3 External Heart; (A) anterior, (B) posterior

2. Cardiac Histology

Intercalated disc-what is the function? Sketch

links cardiac muscle cells together and

enables muscle cells to synchronize
during contraction

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3. Heart Dissection: Perform a heart dissection as instructed in lab. Identify the following
structures.
• Visceral pericardium (shiny layer over the surface of the heart)
• Aorta
• Pulmonary trunk
• Superior vena cava
• Inferior vena cava
• L and R ventricles
• L and R atria
• L and R AV valves
• Aortic semilunar valve
• Pulmonary semilunar valve
• Chordae tendineae
• Papillary muscles
• Endocardium
• Myocardium
• Interventricular septum

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 Part II: Cardiac Conduction

1. Identify the know the function of the following structures.

• Sinoatrial (SA) node
• Atrioventricular (AV) node
• AV bundle/bundle of His
• R and L bundle branches
• Subendocardial branches (Purkinje fibers)

aortic arch

interatrial bundle
sinoatrial (SA) node
left atrium
anterior internodal
atrioventricular (AV) node
middle internodal atrioventricular bundle
posterior internodal (AV bundle, bundle of His)
right atrium
left ventricle
right ventricle right and left bundle branches

Purkinje fibers

Figure 14.4 Intrinsic Conduction System

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2. Electrocardiogram
• Perform an EKG/ECG using the equipment in lab.
• Label the following areas on the graph
o P Wave
o QRS complex
 Q wave
 R wave
 S wave
o T wave
• What do P waves represent? depolarization of the atria

o What is the typical duration? 80 - 120 ms

o What is the typical amplitude? less than 0.25 mV

o What would cause abnormalities in the P wave? left atrial enlargement,
left atrial hypertension, altered or abnormal conduction

• What does the QRS represent? depolarization of the ventricles

• What do T waves represent? repolarization of the ventricles

• Define the following.

o Normal sinus rhythm (NSR) rhythm of a healthy human heart, which originates
from the sinus (SA) node

o Tachycardia rapid heartbeat, over 100 bpm, may be normal in small children but
indicates a health issue in adults

o Bradycardia slower than expected heartbeat, generally slower than 60 bpm

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 R

Q S P-R segment S-T segment

P wave T wave

PR interval QT interval QRS complex

Figure 14.5 EKG

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 Exercise 14: Terminology List

Heart Structures EKG/Conduction

Epicardium SA node
Myocardium AV node
Endocardium AV bundle
Apex Bundle branches
Base Subendocardial branches (Purkinje fibers)
Right atrium P wave
Left atrium QRS complex
Auricle Q wave
Pectinate muscles R wave
Right ventricle S wave
Left ventricle T wave
Papillary muscles Normal sinus rhythm
Trabeculae carneae Tachycardia
Interventricular septum Bradycardia
Superior vena cava
Inferior vena cava
Pulmonary trunk
Right pulmonary artery
Left pulmonary artery
Right pulmonary vein
Left pulmonary vein
Aortic arch
Chordae tendineae Cardiac Histology
Pulmonary semilunar valve Intercalated discs
Aortic semilunar valve
Right AV valve
Left AV valve
Fossa ovalis
Ligamentum arteriosum
Left coronary artery
Right coronary artery
Anterior interventricular artery
Posterior interventricular artery
Circumflex artery
Marginal artery
Great cardiac vein
Coronary sinus
Middle cardiac vein
Small cardiac vein
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Additional Notes

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 Image Citations
Figure 14.1 Heart Layers
• OpenStax College (2013). Anatomy and Physiology. OpenStax College. Adapted from
https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology
Figure 14.2 Internal Heart
• OpenStax College (2013). Anatomy and Physiology. OpenStax College. Adapted from
https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology
Figure 14.3 External Heart
• OpenStax College (2013). Anatomy and Physiology. OpenStax College. Adapted from
https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology
Figure 14.4 Intrinsic Conduction System
• OpenStax College (2013). Anatomy and Physiology. OpenStax College. Adapted from
https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology
Figure 14.5 EKG
• OpenStax College (2013). Anatomy and Physiology. OpenStax College. Adapted from
https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology

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