医学专业英语上册(第五章)chapter 5 Cardiovascular system.pdfVIP

Chapter 5 Cardiovascular system Anatomy and Physio logy of the Cardiovascular System Structure of the heart The heart is a hollow, cone-shaped, muscular pump located within the mediastinum of the thorax and resting upon the diaphragm (Figure 5.1). Size and Location of the Heart Although heart size varies with body size, an average adult ’s heart is generally about 14 centimeters long and 9 centimeters wide. The heart is bordered laterally by the lungs, posteriorly by the backbone, and anteriorly by the sternum base, which is attached to several large blood vessels, lies beneath the second rib. It s distal end extends downward and to the left, terminating as a bluntly pointed apex at the level of the fifth intercostals space . For this reason, it is possible to sense the apical heartbeat by feeling or listening to the chest wall between the fifth and sixth ribs, about 7.5 centimeters to the left of the midline (Figure 5.2) Figure 5.1 Front view of human heart. Figure 5.2 Anterior view of heart location. Coverings of the heart The pericardium encloses the heart and the proximal ends of the large blood vessels to which it attaches. The pericardium consists of an outer fibrous bag, the fibrous pericardium, which surrounds a more delicate, double-layered sac . The inner 71 layer of this sac, the visceral pericardium (epicardium), covers the heart. At the base of the heart , the visceral pericardium turns back upon itself to become the parietal pericardium. The parietal pericardium, in turn, forms the inner lining of the fibrous pericardium. The fibrous pericardium is a tough, protective sac composed largely of white fibrous connective tissue. It is attached to the central portion of the diaphragm , the post