Heart Attack Research Paper

1566 Words4 Pages

The heart is one of the most important organs in the human body. It is composed of cardiac muscle and has four chambers. The two atria, receive blood from the systemic and pulmonary circulation veins whereas the two ventricles pumps blood into the systemic and pulmonary arteries. To prevent the black flow of blood between these chambers there are the heart valves. (Stevens)
The heart is composed of three layers, which are the epicardium, myocardium and the endocardium. The epicardium is the outermost layer which is covered with flat mesothelial cells. The middle layer is called the myocardium which makes up the bulk. The myocardium is responsible for the pumping of the heart. The inner most layer is the endocardium which is directly in contact with the circulation of the blood. The endocardium is covered by endothelial cells and this layer lines the chambers. (Stevens)
The …show more content…

(Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) Causes and Warning Signs.)
The heart attack disrupts the normal electrical wiring- SA, AV node, which leads to abnormal heart rhythms. This is also a cause for the damage to the visceral and the parietal pericardium. The heart attack weakens the contractile mechanism causing a damage to the myocardium which is responsible for the pumping of the heart which further results in shortness of breath. (Fishbein)
Myocardial infarct causes structural damage to the visceral and the parietal pericardium as the smooth lubricated surfaces are no more so the friction free movement of the heart is weakened or diminished. As the heart failure occurs, the myofibroblasts are found in large amounts in the heart as they produce cytokines which helps maintain the inflammatory response to injury. (Baum) During myocardial infarction, Purkinje fibers and other parts of the conducting system are damaged due to a lack of oxygen when the arterial supply is no more.

More about Heart Attack Research Paper

Open Document