pericardium
Sign in to saveThe pericardium (), also called pericardial sac, is a double-walled sac containing the heart and the roots of the great vessels. It has two layers, an outer layer made of strong inelastic connective tissue (fibrous pericardium), and an inner layer made of serous membrane (serous pericardium). It encloses the pericardial cavity, which contains pericardial fluid, and defines the middle mediastinum. It separates the heart from interference of other structures, protects it against infection and blunt trauma, and lubricates the heart's movements.
AI overview
The pericardium is a double-walled sac that surrounds your heart and the large blood vessels connected to it, consisting of a tough outer layer and a delicate inner layer that encloses fluid. It protects your heart from infection and injury, prevents interference from nearby structures, and allows your heart to move smoothly as it beats.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Pericardium
- Anatomy.Latin
- pericardium
- Anatomy.Greek
- περίκάρδιον
- Anatomy.Image
- Blausen_0470_HeartWall.png
- Anatomy.Caption
- Walls of the heart, showing pericardium at right
- Anatomy.Image2
- File:Blausen 0724 PericardialSac.png
- Anatomy.Caption2
- Cutaway illustration of pericardial sac
- Anatomy.Location
- A sac around the heart
- Anatomy.Artery
- Pericardiacophrenic artery
- Anatomy.Nerve
- Phrenic nerve
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Anatomy
- Fibrous
- Serous
- Anatomical relationships
- Function
- Clinical significance
- Additional images
- References
- External links
The pericardium (), also called pericardial sac, is a double-walled sac containing the heart and the roots of the great vessels. It has two layers, an outer layer made of strong inelastic connective tissue (fibrous pericardium), and an inner layer made of serous membrane (serous pericardium). It encloses the pericardial cavity, which contains pericardial fluid, and defines the middle mediastinum. It separates the heart from interference of other structures, protects it against infection and blunt trauma, and lubricates the heart's movements.
==Etymology== The English name originates from the Ancient Greek prefix peri- (περί) 'around' and the root -kardia (κάρδιον) 'heart'.