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Information about Endocardium

Dorlands/Elsevier e_08/12331748
In the heart, the endocardium is the innermost layer of tissue that lines the chambers of the heart. Its cells, embryologically and biologically, are similar to the endothelial cells that line blood vessels.

The endocardium overlies the much more voluminous myocardium, the muscular tissue responsible for the contraction of the heart. The outer layer of the heart is termed epicardium and the heart is surrounded by a small amount of fluid enclosed by a fibrous sac called the pericardium.

Function

Recently, it has become evident that the endocardium, which is primarily made up of endothelial cells, controls myocardial function. This modulating role is separate from the homeometric and heterometric regulatory mechanisms that control myocardial contractility. Moreover, the endothelium of the myocardial (heart muscle) capillaries, which is also closely appositioned to the cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) are involved in this modulatory role. Thus, the cardiac endothelium (both the endocardial endothelium and the endothelium of the myocardial capillaries) controls the development of the heart in the embryo as well as in the adult, for example during hypertrophy. Additionally, the contractility and electrophysiological environment of the cardiomyocyte are regulated by the cardiac endothelium.

The endocardial endothelium may also act as a kind of blood-heart barrier (analogous to the blood-brain barrier), thus controlling the ionic composition of the extracellular fluid in which the cardiomyocytes bathe.

Role in disease

In myocardial infarction, ischemia of the myocardium can extend to the endocardium, disrupting the inner lining of the heart ("Transmural" infarction). Less extensive infarctions are often "subendocardial" and do not affect the endocardium. Subendocardial infarction's are much more dangerous than Transmural infarctions because they create an area of dead tissue surrounded by a boundary region of damaged myocytes. This damaged region will conduct impulses more slowly, resulting in irregular rhythms. The damaged region may enlarge or extend and become more life-threatening.

During Depolarization the impulse is carried from endocardium to epicardium, and during Repolarization the impules moves from epicardium to endocardium. In infective endocarditis, the endocardium (especially the endocardium lining the heart valves) is affected by bacteria.

External links

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Anatomy of torso, cardiovascular system: heart
Structuresatria (interatrial septum, musculi pectinati) • ventricles (interventricular septum, trabeculae carneae, chordae tendinae, papillary muscle) • valves • cusps
Regionsbase • apex • grooves (coronary/atrioventricular, interatrial, anterior interventricula, posterior interventricular) • surfaces (sternocostal, diaphragmatic) • borders (right, left)
Right heart(vena cavae, coronary sinus) → right atrium (auricle, 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 (auricle) → mitral valve → left ventricle → aortic valve (aortic sinus) → (aorta and systemic circulation)
Layerspericardium  (sinus) • epicardium • myocardium • endocardium • cardiac skeleton (fibrous trigone, fibrous rings)
Conduction systemCardiac pacemaker • SA node • AV node• bundle of His • Purkinje fibers
Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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heart is a muscular organ responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in the annelids, mollusks, and arthropods.
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Embryology is the study of the development of an embryo. An embryo is defined as any vertebrate in a stage before birth or hatching. Embryology refers to the development of the egg cell (zygote) after fertilization and the differentiation of cells into tissues and organs.
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Biology (from Greek: βίος, bio, "life"; and λόγος, logos, "knowledge"), also referred to as the biological sciences, is the scientific study of life.
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endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillary.
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The blood vessels are part of the cardiovascular system and function to transport blood throughout the body. The most important types, arteries and veins, carry blood away from or towards the heart, respectively.
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Myocardium is the muscular tissue of the heart.

Relationship to other layers

The other tissues of the heart are:
  • the endocardium (inner lining, effectively a specialized endothelium)

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The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels.

Layers

There are two layers to this sac: the fibrous pericardium and the serous pericardium.
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Myocardial infarction
Classification & external resources

Diagram of a myocardial infarction (2) of the tip of the anterior wall of the heart (an apical infarct
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In medicine, ischemia (Greek ισχαιμία, isch- is restriction, hema or haema is blood) is a restriction in blood supply
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Myocardium is the muscular tissue of the heart.

Relationship to other layers

The other tissues of the heart are:
  • the endocardium (inner lining, effectively a specialized endothelium)

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In medicine, an infarction is the process resulting in a macroscopic area of necrotic tissue in some organ caused by loss of adequate blood supply. Supplying arteries may be blocked from within by some obstruction (e.g.
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In medicine, an infarction is the process resulting in a macroscopic area of necrotic tissue in some organ caused by loss of adequate blood supply. Supplying arteries may be blocked from within by some obstruction (e.g.
..... Click the link for more information.
In medicine, an infarction is the process resulting in a macroscopic area of necrotic tissue in some organ caused by loss of adequate blood supply. Supplying arteries may be blocked from within by some obstruction (e.g.
..... Click the link for more information.
In medicine, an infarction is the process resulting in a macroscopic area of necrotic tissue in some organ caused by loss of adequate blood supply. Supplying arteries may be blocked from within by some obstruction (e.g.
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muscle fiber, also spelled muscle fibre (see spelling differences), also technically known as a myocyte, is a single cell of a muscle. Muscle fibers contain many myofibrils, the contractile unit of muscles.
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MeSH D004696 Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. The most common structures involved are the heart valves.

Endocarditis can be classified by etiology as either infective or non-infective
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In anatomy, the heart valves are valves in the heart that maintain the unidirectional flow of blood by opening and closing depending on the difference in pressure on each side. The mechanical equivalent of the heart valves would be the reed valves.
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Bacteria

Phyla

Actinobacteria
Aquificae
Chlamydiae
Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi
Chloroflexi
Chrysiogenetes
Cyanobacteria
Deferribacteres
Deinococcus-Thermus
Dictyoglomi
Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria
Firmicutes
Fusobacteria
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The College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign is a graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.The UIC College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign is located at the original campus of the University (with 42,000 students, undergraduate and graduate) and offers a
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University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a coeducational public research university located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma.
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University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a coeducational public research university located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma.
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Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body.[1] It is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy.[1]
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Torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies (including that of the human) from which extend the neck and limbs. It is sometimes referred to as the trunk. The torso includes the thorax and abdomen.
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Circulatory System is a psychedelic rock musical ensemble formed by musician/painter Will Cullen Hart, and featuring Hannah Jones, Derek Almstead, Peter Erchick, John Fernandes, and Heather McIntosh.
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heart is a muscular organ responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in the annelids, mollusks, and arthropods.
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In anatomy, the atrium (plural: atria) refers to a chamber or space. As such it may for example be the atrium of the lateral ventricle in the brain or, popularly, the blood collection chamber of a heart.
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The interatrial septum is the wall of tissue that separates the right and left atria of the heart.

Development

The interatrial septum forms during the first and second months of fetal development. Formation of the septum occurs in several stages.
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musculi pectinati (pectinate muscles).

In the left atrium, the musculi pectinati, fewer and smaller than in the right auricula, are confined to the inner surface of the auricula. This is due to the embryological origin of the auricles, which are the true atria.
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