Visible Human, Coronal Section/Anterior Thorax

You selected: pericardium

The heart is surrounded by a thick fibrous membrane - the pericardium. A small amount of fluid exists in the space between the beating heart and this membrane. Should the amount of fluid increase, due to infections (pericarditis) or rupture of the heart muscle as can happen with serious damage to the heart muscle, a life-threatening condition called cardiac tamponade can occur. Due to the limited space, the increased fluid prevents the heart from filling with blood and pumping it to the body.

Key points in this image
lung | left ventricle | right ventricle | diaphragm | stomach | liver | pectoralis major |
Click on the image to learn more about specific features. Alternatively you may view this image with all annotations, or with the introductory comments.

Return to your starting page.


Information
Module Name: a_vmY1649
Module Title: Visible Human, Coronal Section/Anterior Thorax
Image Info: Computer generated from gross transverse sections.
Created by: Lynn Bry
Contact Email:bryl@medicine.wustl.edu
Last modified: Feb 7th, 1997

Created with Annotation 1.0