Which part of the pericardium is attached to the outer surface of the heart and forms part of the heart wall?

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Multiple Choice

Which part of the pericardium is attached to the outer surface of the heart and forms part of the heart wall?

The layer that directly covers the heart and becomes part of the heart wall is the visceral pericardium, also known as the epicardium. This is the inner layer of the serous pericardium, tightly fused to the myocardium, so it forms the outer surface of the heart itself. The serous pericardium has a second, parietal layer that lines the fibrous pericardial sac, and the two layers are continuous at the great vessels with a potential space between them containing a small amount of lubricating fluid. The other options don’t form part of the heart wall: the parietal pericardium lines the fibrous sac but does not adhere to the heart; the fibrous pericardium is the tough outer envelope that anchors the heart; and the epicardium is simply another name for the visceral pericardium.

The layer that directly covers the heart and becomes part of the heart wall is the visceral pericardium, also known as the epicardium. This is the inner layer of the serous pericardium, tightly fused to the myocardium, so it forms the outer surface of the heart itself. The serous pericardium has a second, parietal layer that lines the fibrous pericardial sac, and the two layers are continuous at the great vessels with a potential space between them containing a small amount of lubricating fluid.

The other options don’t form part of the heart wall: the parietal pericardium lines the fibrous sac but does not adhere to the heart; the fibrous pericardium is the tough outer envelope that anchors the heart; and the epicardium is simply another name for the visceral pericardium.

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