Library · Histology
Heart histology
Make it clearer
When people say the heart is a muscle, the part they're really pointing at has a name: the myocardium, the muscular layer of the heart wall, made mostly of cardiac muscle tissue. The whole organ holds more than that muscle: the endocardium, connective tissue (the material that supports and binds things together), blood vessels, and specialized cells that form the conduction system.
Seen edge-on, the heart wall looks like the wall of a house with its layers: the epicardium on the outside, the myocardium in the middle, and on the inner side, the one facing the hollow chambers, the endocardium. Three distinct layers, one on top of another.
In brief
The myocardium is the muscular layer of the heart wall, and it is composed primarily of cardiac muscle tissue.
The heart contains more than muscle. It also includes endocardium, connective tissue, blood vessels, and specialized cells of the conduction system.
The wall has three layers: the epicardium at the surface, the myocardium in the middle, and the endocardium facing the inner chambers.
Sources (2)
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityHeart Anatomy
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityCardiac Muscle and Electrical Activity
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