The Human Heart: A General Description The heart is the main organ of the cardiovascular system in the human body. Its primary function is to pump oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood throughout the 60,000 miles of blood vessels that make up this system ("Heart, 2015"). About the size of a clenched fist, the heart is located in the middle of the chest, between the lungs and nestled behind the ribcage. It lies a little to the left of the sternum. The shape of the heart is reminiscent of an upside down pear with arteries and veins branching from its upper and lower regions. On the inside, the heart is separated into four chambers. The upper two chambers are the right and left atria and the lower two chambers are the right and left ventricles.
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The heart cavities and blood vessels are lined with epithelial tissue. The heart is enclosed inside of a double-walled epithelial sac called the pericardium. The pericardium helps to protect the heart, keep it anchored, and protect the heart from over-filling with blood ("Heart Anatomy: size, location, coverings and layers, 2013"). The heart is the only organ in the body composed of the muscular tissue called the cardiac muscle. The three layers of the heart, the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium, are made of the cardiac muscle tissue ("Heart Anatomy: size, location, coverings and layers, 2013"). The nervous tissue is embedded in the connective tissues that are in the heart as well. The nervous tissue is there to help the heart continuously beat and the connective tissue anchors those nerves …show more content…
Without the epithelial cells, the heart would not have structure, as the pericardium is made of simple squamous epithelial cells. The linings of the different chambers of the heart are also made of epithelial cells and help keep the blood contained. The nerve cells are what keep the heart pumping and circulating the blood through the body, allowing wastes to be excreted and nutrients to be absorbed. Cardiac muscle cells are an important cell in the heart that contract the different areas of the heart (Starr, 2006). This muscle is formed to withstand the constant activity that takes place in the cardiovascular system (Taylor, n.d.). Each type of cell has its own job and is vital to the function of the heart. If any of the cells are impaired in some way, homeostasis in the heart and cardiovascular system will be
The heart cavities and blood vessels are lined with epithelial tissue. The heart is enclosed inside of a double-walled epithelial sac called the pericardium. The pericardium helps to protect the heart, keep it anchored, and protect the heart from over-filling with blood ("Heart Anatomy: size, location, coverings and layers, 2013"). The heart is the only organ in the body composed of the muscular tissue called the cardiac muscle. The three layers of the heart, the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium, are made of the cardiac muscle tissue ("Heart Anatomy: size, location, coverings and layers, 2013"). The nervous tissue is embedded in the connective tissues that are in the heart as well. The nervous tissue is there to help the heart continuously beat and the connective tissue anchors those nerves …show more content…
Without the epithelial cells, the heart would not have structure, as the pericardium is made of simple squamous epithelial cells. The linings of the different chambers of the heart are also made of epithelial cells and help keep the blood contained. The nerve cells are what keep the heart pumping and circulating the blood through the body, allowing wastes to be excreted and nutrients to be absorbed. Cardiac muscle cells are an important cell in the heart that contract the different areas of the heart (Starr, 2006). This muscle is formed to withstand the constant activity that takes place in the cardiovascular system (Taylor, n.d.). Each type of cell has its own job and is vital to the function of the heart. If any of the cells are impaired in some way, homeostasis in the heart and cardiovascular system will be