Pericardium, visceral

Pericardium, visceral
The inner layer of the pericardium, a conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels. The pericardium has outer and inner coats. The outer coat is tough and thickened, loosely cloaks the heart, and is attached to the central part of the diaphragm and the back of the sternum (breastbone). The inner coat is double with one layer closely adherent to the heart while the other lines the inner surface of the outer, or parietal, pericardium with the intervening space being filled with fluid. This small amount of fluid, the pericardial fluid, acts as a lubricant to allow normal heart movement within the chest. The word "pericardium" means around the heart. The outer layer of the pericardium is called the parietal pericardium. The inner part of the pericardium that closely envelops the heart is, as stated, the visceral pericardium; it is also called the epicardium.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Pericardium — The conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels. The pericardium’s outer coat (the parietal pericardium) is tough and thickened, loosely cloaks the heart, and is attached to the central part of… …   Medical dictionary

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  • Visceral pericardium — The inner layer of the pericardium, a conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels. The pericardium has outer and inner coats. The outer coat is tough and thickened, loosely cloaks the heart, and …   Medical dictionary

  • Pericardium, parietal — The outer layer of the pericardium which is a conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels. The pericardium has outer and inner coats. The outer coat is tough and thickened, loosely cloaks the… …   Medical dictionary

  • pericardium — n. the membrane surrounding the heart, consisting of two portions. The outer fibrous pericardium completely encloses the heart and is attached to the large blood vessels emerging from the heart. The internal serous pericardium is a closed sac of… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • Visceral pleura — Infobox Anatomy Name = Pulmonary pleura Latin = pleura visceralis, pleura pulmonalis GraySubject = 238 GrayPage = 1087 Caption = A transverse section of the thorax, showing the contents of the middle and the posterior mediastinum. The pleural and …   Wikipedia

  • visceral pericardium — noun the innermost of the two layers of the pericardium • Syn: ↑epicardium • Hypernyms: ↑serous membrane, ↑serosa • Part Holonyms: ↑pericardium …   Useful english dictionary

  • visceral layer of serous pericardium — lamina visceralis pericardii serosi …   Medical dictionary

  • Serous pericardium — Infobox Anatomy Name = PAGENAME Latin = pericardium serosum GraySubject = GrayPage = Caption = A transverse section of the thorax, showing the contents of the middle and the posterior mediastinum. The pleural and pericardial cavities are… …   Wikipedia

  • Parietal pericardium — The outer layer of the pericardium which is a conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels. The pericardium has outer and inner coats. The outer coat is tough and thickened, loosely cloaks the… …   Medical dictionary

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