Atrium (anatomy)
Encyclopedia
In anatomy
, the atrium (plural: atria), sometimes called auricle (although, in the technical sense, the auricle is a separate part of the main atria known as the atrial appendages), refers to a chamber or space. For example, the term is used for a portion of the lateral ventricle in the brain and the blood
collection chamber of the heart
. The atrium most commonly refers to a chamber in which blood enters
the heart, as opposed to the ventricle, where it is pushed out of the organ. It has a thin-walled structure that allows blood to return to the heart. There is at least one atrium in animals with a closed circulatory system. In fish
, the circulatory system is very simple: a two-chambered heart including one atrium and one ventricle
. In other vertebrate
groups, the circulatory system
is much more complicated. Their circulatory systems are divided into two types: a three-chambered heart, with two atria and one ventricle, or a four-chambered heart, with two atria and two ventricles. The atrium receives blood as it returns to the heart to complete a circulating cycle, whereas the ventricle pumps blood out of the heart to start a new cycle.
s have a four-chambered heart that includes the right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the superior vena cava
, inferior vena cava
and coronary sinus
. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the left and right pulmonary veins. The atria do not have valves at their inlets. As a result, a venous pulsation is normal and can be detected in the jugular vein
as the jugular venous pressure
.
Internally, there is the rough musculae pectinati and crista terminalis
, which acts as a boundary inside the atrium and the smooth walled part derived from the sinus venosus
. There is also a fossa ovalis
in the interatrial septum
, which is used in the fetal
period as a means of bypassing the lung.The atrium is depolarized by Calcium.
There are two atria, one on either side of the heart. On the right side is the atrium that holds blood that is deoxygenated. It sends blood to the right ventricle, which sends it to the lungs for oxygen. After it comes back, it is sent to the left atrium. The blood is pumped from the left atrium and sent to the left ventricle where it is sent to the aorta
, which takes it to the rest of the body.
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
, the atrium (plural: atria), sometimes called auricle (although, in the technical sense, the auricle is a separate part of the main atria known as the atrial appendages), refers to a chamber or space. For example, the term is used for a portion of the lateral ventricle in the brain and the blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
collection chamber of the heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
. The atrium most commonly refers to a chamber in which blood enters
the heart, as opposed to the ventricle, where it is pushed out of the organ. It has a thin-walled structure that allows blood to return to the heart. There is at least one atrium in animals with a closed circulatory system. In fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, the circulatory system is very simple: a two-chambered heart including one atrium and one ventricle
Ventricle (heart)
In the heart, a ventricle is one of two large chambers that collect and expel blood received from an atrium towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The Atria primes the Pump...
. In other vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
groups, the circulatory system
Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
is much more complicated. Their circulatory systems are divided into two types: a three-chambered heart, with two atria and one ventricle, or a four-chambered heart, with two atria and two ventricles. The atrium receives blood as it returns to the heart to complete a circulating cycle, whereas the ventricle pumps blood out of the heart to start a new cycle.
Human heart
HumanHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s have a four-chambered heart that includes the right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the superior vena cava
Superior vena cava
The superior vena cava is truly superior, a large diameter, yet short, vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the upper half of the body to the heart's right atrium...
, inferior vena cava
Inferior vena cava
The inferior vena cava , also known as the posterior vena cava, is the large vein that carries de-oxygenated blood from the lower half of the body into the right atrium of the heart....
and coronary sinus
Coronary sinus
The coronary sinus is a collection of veins joined together to form a large vessel that collects blood from the myocardium of the heart. It is present in all mammals, including humans...
. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the left and right pulmonary veins. The atria do not have valves at their inlets. As a result, a venous pulsation is normal and can be detected in the jugular vein
Jugular vein
The jugular veins are veins that bring deoxygenated blood from the head back to the heart via the superior vena cava.-Internal and external:There are two sets of jugular veins: external and internal....
as the jugular venous pressure
Jugular venous pressure
The jugular venous pressure is the indirectly observed pressure over the venous system...
.
Internally, there is the rough musculae pectinati and crista terminalis
Crista terminalis
The Crista Terminalis represents the junction between the sinus venosus and the heart in the developing embryo. In the development of the human heart, the right horn and transverse portion of the sinus venosus ultimately become incorporated with and form a part of the adult right atrium...
, which acts as a boundary inside the atrium and the smooth walled part derived from the sinus venosus
Sinus venosus
The sinus venosus is a large quadrangular cavity which precedes the atrium on the venous side of the chordate heart. In humans, it exists distinctly only in the embryonic heart, where it is found between the two venae cavae...
. There is also a fossa ovalis
Fossa ovalis (heart)
Found in the right atrium of the heart, the fossa ovalis is an embryonic remnant of the foramen ovale, which normally closes shortly after birth.In a heart specimen of a neonate, the fossa ovalis is translucent, but later in life the membrane thickens...
in the interatrial septum
Interatrial septum
The interatrial septum is the wall of tissue that separates the right and left atria of the heart.-Development:The interatrial septum forms during the first and second months of fetal development. Formation of the septum occurs in several stages...
, which is used in the fetal
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
period as a means of bypassing the lung.The atrium is depolarized by Calcium.
There are two atria, one on either side of the heart. On the right side is the atrium that holds blood that is deoxygenated. It sends blood to the right ventricle, which sends it to the lungs for oxygen. After it comes back, it is sent to the left atrium. The blood is pumped from the left atrium and sent to the left ventricle where it is sent to the aorta
Aorta
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries...
, which takes it to the rest of the body.