Pericardial cavity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pericardial cavity
A transverse section of the thorax, showing the contents of the middle and the posterior mediastinum. The pleural and pericardial cavities are exaggerated since normally there is no space between parietal and visceral pleura and between pericardium and heart.
Latin	cavitas pericardiaca
Precursor	intraembryonic coelom
Dorlands/Elsevier	c_16/12220559

The pericardial cavity (or pericardial space) is a potential space between the parietal pericardium and visceral layer. It contains a supply of serous fluid. The serous fluid that is found in this space is known as the pericardial fluid.

[edit] External links

• Pericardial+cavity at eMedicine Dictionary
• Norman/Georgetown thoraxlesson4
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich ht_pericard1 - "Chest X-ray showing pericardium, posteroanterior view"

v • d • e Anatomy of torso, cardiovascular system: heart Structures atria (interatrial septum, musculi pectinati) • ventricles (interventricular septum, trabeculae carneae, chordae tendinae, papillary muscle) • valves • cusps Regions base • apex • grooves (coronary/atrioventricular, interatrial, anterior interventricula, posterior interventricular) • surfaces (sternocostal, diaphragmatic) • borders (right, left) Right heart (vena cavae, coronary sinus) → right atrium (atrial appendage, fossa ovalis, limbus of fossa ovalis, crista terminalis, valve of the inferior vena cava, valve of the coronary sinus) → tricuspid valve → right ventricle (conus arteriosus, moderator band/septomarginal trabecula)  → pulmonary valve → (pulmonary artery and pulmonary circulation) Left heart (pulmonary veins) → left atrium (atrial appendage) → mitral valve → left ventricle → aortic valve (aortic sinus) → (aorta and systemic circulation) Layers pericardium: fibrous pericardium • serous pericardium (pericardial cavity, epicardium/visceral layer) • pericardial sinus myocardium • endocardium • cardiac skeleton (fibrous trigone, fibrous rings) Conduction system Cardiac pacemaker • SA node • AV node• bundle of His • Purkinje fibers