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Development of the heart

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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The development of the heart begins at around 3 weeks gestation. Cephalad splanchnic mesoderm is induced by deeper endoderm to form angioblast cells. The angioblasts cluster and fuse in a semi-circle around the neural plate. The anterior cells of this group form primitive blood vessels that eventually will form the heart - this is the cardiogenic area. Within the submenu, the subsequent stages of development are summarized:

  • formation of heart tube and its subdivisions
  • formation of septa between chambers

Also within the submenu, the development of the following are considered:

  • cardiac conduction system
  • pericardium and pericardial cavity
  • atrioventricular and semilunar valves
  • arterial system
  • venous system

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