The Heart Flashcards
What is the pericardium
Layer of mesothelial cells and it’s the outermost layer of the heart
What is the visceral pericardium
The layer of pericardium on the outer surface of the heart
What is the parietal pericardium
Layer of cells on the inner surface of the fibrous sac containing the hearts
What is the epicardium made of
Fatty connective tissue
Where is the epicardium
Between the pericardium and the myocardium
What does the epicardium contain
The coronary arteries 
What is the thickest layer of the heart
The myocardium
Where are intercalated discs found
In the myocardium of the heart
What is myocardium
Specialised cardiac muscle
What are some features of the myocardium
It’s striated, has central nuclei and is branching
Why are skeletal muscles and cardiac muscle striated
Because the myofibrils are in register
What do intercalated discs do
Connect the actin filaments of adjacent myocytes
What do intercalated discs contain
Gap junctions
Adhering junctions
Desmosomes
What is the connective tissue between muscle fibre in the heart
Endomysium
What hormone do the atria secret
Atrial natriuretic peptide
