Tubular heart
| Tubular heart | |
|---|---|
Diagram to illustrate the simple tubular condition of the heart | |
| Details | |
| Days | 22 |
| Precursor | Splanchnic mesoderm |
| Gives rise to | Heart |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | cor tubulare |
| TE | heart_by_E5.11.1.1.1.0.5 E5.11.1.1.1.0.5 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The term tubular heart has two definitions, one for developmental biology, and one for evolutionary biology. In evolutionary biology, the term refers to a peristaltic heart tube that evolved in early Bilateria, which consists of a single layer of contracting mesoderm but lacks chambers, valves, and blood vessels.
In developmental biology, the tubular heart or primitive heart tube is the earliest stage of heart development in vertebrates. The heart is the first functional organ to form during human embryogenesis, beginning in the third week. In the cardiogenic region of the embryo, paired endocardial tubes fuse to form a single linear structure known as the tubular heart. This tube later undergoes looping and separation to form the multi-chambered heart.