Human Anatomy Part 2 - K. A. Dyubenko, A. K. Kolomiytsev, Yu. B. Chaikovsky 2008

Special Part
Cardiovascular system, systema cardiovasculare - Special Part
Heart - Structure of the heart - Structure of the heart walls - Innervation of the heart

The Heart receives sensory, sympathetic, and parasympathetic fibers that run as part of the Vagus nerve and the Sympathetic trunk. These fibers form the superficial (anterior) and deep (posterior) extracardiac cardiac plexuses. Branches of the extracardiac plexuses penetrate the heart wall to form intracardiac plexuses: subepicardial, myocardial, subendocardial, and subendothelial (a detailed Description of the Innervation of the heart is provided in the chapter "Autonomic Nervous system").

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Fig. 20. Pericardium, pericardium, posterior wall (anterior view) (according to R. D. Sinelnikov)

The pericardium, or pericardial sac, is a fibroserous membrane that forms the cavity enclosing the heart (Fig. 20). The pericardial wall consists of two layers: an outer fibrous layer, pericardium fibrosum, and an inner serous layer, pericardium serosum.

The outer layer, pericardium fibrosum, blends with the adventitia of the great vascular trunks, and anteriorly it is anchored to the inner surface of the Sternum by fibrous strands—the sternopericardial ligaments, ligg. sternopericardiaca.

The serous pericardial sac consists of two parts: the parietal layer and the visceral layer, lamina parietalis and lamina visceralis, respectively. Between the parietal and visceral layers lies a slit-like potential space, the pericardial cavity, cavitas pericardialis, which contains a small amount of serous fluid*.

Between the parietal and visceral layers of the serous pericardial sac, several recesses or sinuses are formed: the transverse pericardial sinus, sinus transversus pericardiaci, and the oblique sinus, sinus obliquus pericardiaci. The transverse pericardial sinus is located posterior to the aorta and pulmonary trunk, while the oblique sinus of the pericardium is situated on the posterior surface of the heart, bounded by the Pulmonary Veins on the left and superiorly, and by the INFERIOR VENA CAVA on the right and inferiorly.

* In inflammatory conditions (pericarditis), a significant amount of fluid may accumulate in the pericardial cavity, impairing cardiac function.



Last update: 08/08/2026

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