Pericardium
The pericardium, also called pericardial sac, is a double-walled sac containing the heart and the roots of the great vessels.[1] It has two layers, an outer layer made of strong inelastic connective tissue (fibrous pericardium), and an inner layer made of serous membrane (serous pericardium).[2][3] It encloses the pericardial cavity, which contains pericardial fluid,[2] and defines the middle mediastinum. It separates the heart from interference of other structures, protects it against infection and blunt trauma, and lubricates the heart's movements.
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| Pericardium | |
|---|---|
 Walls of the heart, showing pericardium at right. | |
 Cutaway illustration of pericardial sac | |
| Details | |
| Location | A sac around the heart |
| Artery | Pericardiacophrenic artery |
| Nerve | Phrenic nerve |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | Pericardium |
| Greek | περίκάρδιον |
| MeSH | D010496 |
| TA98 | A12.1.08.001 A12.1.08.002 A12.1.08.005 |
| TA2 | 3341 |
| FMA | 9869 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The English name originates from the Ancient Greek prefix peri- (περί) 'around' and the suffix -cardion (κάρδιον) 'heart'.