Anatomy A215 Virtual Microscopy
Heart
 
 

This virtual microscope HEART slide is of a piece of human heart. It includes not only the muscle of the heart, but also the outer covering known as the epicardium. The little box in the image to the left indicates where the photograph below came from.

This area is of cardiac muscle, just beneath the epicardium.

The wall of the heart has three layers which can be distinguished histologically:
  • The thin, outer epicardium.
  • The thick myocardium, containing an interlacing network of cardiac muscle fibers. Note in particular the intercalated discs, which are connections between cardiac muscle cells.
  • The thin endocardium, the innermost layer of the heart.

 

 

Virtual Microscopy Table of Contents