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The heart is a muscular organ situated in the mediastinum.It consists of four chambers, four valves, two main arteries (the coronary arteries), and the conduction system. The left and right sides of the heart have different functions: the right side receives de-oxygenated blood through the superior and inferior venae cavae and pumps blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery, and the left ...
The back surface of the heart lies near the vertebral column, and the front surface known as the sternocostal surface sits behind the sternum and rib cartilages. [8] The upper part of the heart is the attachment point for several large blood vessels—the venae cavae, aorta and pulmonary trunk.
The right coronary sulcus begins anteriorly and superiorly on the sternocostal surface of the heart. Its position is marked by the location of the right coronary artery, and small cardiac vein. The right coronary sulcus separates the right atrium and its atrial appendage from the right ventricle inferiorly. The right coronary sulcus then passes ...
The conduction system consists of specialized heart muscle cells, situated within the myocardium. [3] There is a skeleton of fibrous tissue that surrounds the conduction system which can be seen on an ECG. Dysfunction of the conduction system can cause irregular heart rhythms including rhythms that are too fast or too slow.
Cardiac physiology or heart function is the study of healthy, unimpaired function of the heart: involving blood flow; myocardium structure; the electrical conduction system of the heart; the cardiac cycle and cardiac output and how these interact and depend on one another.
The left ventricle is longer and more conical in shape than the right, and on transverse section its concavity presents an oval or nearly circular outline. It forms a small part of the sternocostal surface and a considerable part of the diaphragmatic surface of the heart; it also forms the apex of the heart.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) or ischemic heart disease are the terms used to describe narrowing of the coronary arteries. [8] As the disease progresses, plaque buildup can partially block blood flow to the heart muscle. Without enough blood supply , the heart is unable to work properly, especially under increased stress.
The lymphatic system carries excess plasma (filtered from the circulatory system capillaries as interstitial fluid between cells) away from the body tissues via accessory routes that return excess fluid back to blood circulation as lymph. [5] The lymphatic system is a subsystem that is essential for the functioning of the blood circulatory ...