External structure of the heart

The heart , cor, is an almost conical hollow organ with well developed muscular walls. It is located in the lower part of the anterior mediastinum on the tendon center of the diaphragm, between the right and left pleural sacks, is enclosed in the pericardium, pericardium, and fixed by large blood vessels.

The heart has a shorter, round, sometimes more elongated, acute shape; In the filled state in size, it approximately corresponds to the fist of the person being examined. The size of the heart of an adult is individual. Thus, its length reaches 12-15 cm, the width (transverse dimension) is 8-11 cm, and the anteroposterior dimension (thickness) is 6-8 cm.

The heart mass varies from 220 to 300 g, while in sports people it is 400-450 g. In men, the size and mass of the heart is larger than that of women, and its walls are somewhat thicker. The extra-wide enlarged part of the heart is called the base of the heart, the basis cordis, large veins open into it and large arteries emerge from it. The anterior, free-lying part of the heart is called the apex of the heart , apes cordis.

Of the two surfaces of the heart, the lower, flattened, diaphragmatic surface , facies diaphragmatica (inferior), is adjacent to the diaphragm. Anterior, more convex sternocostal surface , facies sternocostalis (anterior), facing the sternum and costal cartilage. Surfaces cross one another in rounded edges, with the right margin, margo dexter, the longer and sharp, the left pulmonary surface , the facies pulmonalis, shorter and rounded.

On the surface of the heart distinguish three furrows . Venous furrow, sulcus coronarius, is located on the border between the atria and ventricles. The anterior and posterior interventricular furrows, sulci interventricular anterior and posterior, separate one ventricle from the other. On the sternum-costal surface, the coronal sulcus reaches the edges of the pulmonary trunk. The site of the transition of the anterior interventricular sulcus to the posterior corresponds to a small depression - the incision of the apex of the heart , incisura apicis cordis. In the furrows lie the vessels of the heart .