Pericardium

Question 1

What is the pericardium?

Answer 1

The pericardium is the membrane that encloses the heart and the roots of the major heart vessels

Question 2

What makes up the pericardium?

Answer 2

Fibrous layer (connective tissue layer)
Parietal layer (outer serous layer - simple epithelium)
Visceral layer (inner serous layer - simple epithelium)

Question 3

What is in between the fibrous pericardium (parietal layer) and the visceral layer?

Answer 3

Serous pericardium - a fluid

Question 4

What is the role of serous pericardium?

Answer 4

Lubricates the layers and prevents friction during heart contractions, which is, along with mechanical protection, the basic function of the pericardium.

Question 5

Anatomical relations of the pericardium

Answer 5

Superior - continuous with the tunica adventitia of the great heart vessels
Inferior - attaches to the central tendon of the diaphragm
Anterior - attaches to the posterior surface of the sternum
Posterior - related to the content of the posterior mediastinum

Question 6

What is the arterial supply of the pericardium?

Answer 6

Fibrous and parietal pericardium gets blood supply from the internal thoracic artery ( a branch of the subclavian artery)

Visceral pericardium (aka epicardium) gets its blood supply from the coronary arteries of the heart

Question 7

What is responsible for venous drainage of the pericardium?

Answer 7

Azygous system, pericardiacopherenic veins

Question 8

Innervation

Answer 8

P and F layers - Phrenic nerves (C3-C5) sensory
V layer - T1-T4 and vagus via cardiac plexus
Sympathetic trunk (vasinitir)
Vagus nerve (CN X)

Question 9

What is fibrous pericardium made up of?

Answer 9

Dense irregular connective tissue

Question 10

How is the base of the fibrous pericardium attached to the diaphragm?

Answer 10

It is attached to the central tendon of the diaphragm by the pericardiacophrenic ligament

Question 11

What is the serous pericardium?

Answer 11

A serous membrane

Question 12

What does the serous pericardium consist of?

Answer 12

The outer parietal layer that lays directly on the cavity wall, that is, onto the inner surface of the fibrous pericardium

The inner visceral layer that directly covers the organs in the cavity, that is, the heart. It is also called the epicardium as it is the outer covering of the heart.

Question 13

What is the pericardial cavity?

Answer 13

Between the serous pericardium layers is the pericardial cavity, a potential space filled with 15 - 50 ml of serous pericardial fluid.

Question 14

What keeps the serous pericardium closed?

Answer 14

Two layers of

Question 15

Discuss the pericardiacophrenic artery

Answer 15

The arterial supply of the pericardium comes predominantly from the pericardiacophrenic artery (a branch of the internal thoracic artery).

This artery is located within the fibrous pericardium on its passage through the thoracic cavity.

Question 16

What does the phrenic nerve do?

Answer 16

Provide mostly somatic afferent (pain, temperature sensory) innervation and pass directly through the fibrous pericardium.

Question 17

Identify the three layers of the pericardium from superficial to deep

Answer 17

Fibrous pericardium
Parietal pericardium
Visceral pericardium

Question 18

Which thoracic vertebrae form the posterior border of the superior mediastinum?

Answer 18

T1-T4

Question 19

The pericardial cavity lies between what layers|?

Answer 19

Parietal layer and visceral layer

Question 20

What pericardium layer also forms the heart wall?

Answer 20

Myocardium

Question 21

What layer of the serous pericardium is attached to the inner aspect of the fibrous pericardium?

Answer 21

Parietal layer of serous pericardium

Question 22

What is the protective role of the fibrous layer?

Answer 22

Stops heart from overflowing and anchor heart in place

Question 23

What is the fibrous layer continuous with superiorly?:

Answer 23

Roots of the great vessels and goes down to the diaphragm