What is serous parietal pericardium?
The serous pericardium is a layer of serosa that lines the fibrous pericardium (parietal layer), which is reflected around the roots of the great vessels to cover the entire surface of the heart (visceral layer).
What is the visceral serous pericardium?
The visceral serous pericardium, also known as the epicardium, covers the myocardium of the heart and can be considered its serosa. It is largely made of a mesothelium overlying some elastin-rich loose connective tissue.
What is the function of the parietal pericardium?
Parietal pericardium is the layer between the fibrous pericardium and visceral pericardium. It is continuous with fibrous pericardium and provides an additional layer of insulation for the heart.
What is the difference between parietal and visceral pericardium?
The key difference between visceral pericardium and parietal pericardium is, the visceral pericardium is the inner layer of the serous pericardium that outlines the outer layer of the heart’s epicardium while the parietal pericardium is the outer layer of the serous pericardium that outlines internal surface of the …
Where does pericardial fluid come from?
There is strong evidence that the pericardial fluid is derived by plasma ultrafiltration through the epicardial capillaries (and probably the parietal’s pericardium), as well as a small amount of interstitial fluid from the underlying myocardium, during the cardiac circle (Stewart et al., 1997).
What happens if pericardial fluid decreases?
Pericardial effusion can lead to a life-threatening condition called cardiac tamponade. In this condition, your heart becomes too compressed to function normally. Cardiac tamponade is life threatening and must be treated immediately.
Does the parietal pericardium touch the heart?
It holds the heart in place. The inner surface of the fibrous pericardium is lined by the outer (parietal) layer of serous pericardium. The inner (visceral) layer of the serous pericardium lines the outer surface of the heart itself.
What produces serous fluid?
The epithelial layer, known as mesothelium, consists of a single layer of avascular flat nucleated cells (simple squamous epithelium) which produce the lubricating serous fluid. This fluid has a consistency similar to thin mucus. These cells are bound tightly to the underlying connective tissue.
What is meant by serous fluid?
: a clear to pale yellow watery fluid that is found in the body especially in the spaces between organs and the membranes which line or enclose them (such as the heart and pericardium or abdomen and peritoneum) and that when occurring in large quantities is indicative of a pathological condition (such as cirrhosis or …
What medications can cause fluid around the heart?
Lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, and lymphoma can cause fluid to build up around your heart. In some cases, the chemotherapy drugs doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) can cause a pericardial effusion.
What is the serous pericardium and where is it located?
Note that the serous pericardium is a serous membrane that histologically consists of a layer of squamous mesothelium supported by a loose connective tissue through which neurovasculature can reach it. The arterial supply of the pericardium comes predominantly from the pericardiacophrenic artery (a branch of the internal thoracic artery ).
What is the structure of normal pericardium?
Normal pericardium consists of an outer sac called fibrous pericardium and an inner one called serous pericardium. The two layers of serous pericardium: visceral and parietal are separated by the pericardial cavity, which contains 20 to 60 mL of the plasma ultrafiltrate. The pericardium acts as mech …
What is the pericardium in a cadaver?
Heart and some of its great vessels in a cadaver: Surrounding the heart, you can see several layers which are peeled away, outwardly from the organ. These thin sheets represent the pericardium. When intact, the pericardium forms a sac that encloses the heart.
What is pericardial fluid?
Pericardial fluid is secreted by pericardial cells, and it is this fluid that reduces friction between the parietal and visceral layer during heart contractions.