Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: The structural and morphological aspects of heart development have been well-described over the past years. Continuing research is performed on the genetic pathways, transcription factors and growth factors important for determination and specification of the various components and segments of the cardiovascular system during embryogenesis. It is necessary to realize that the intricate expression patterns and cellular and molecular interactions take place in a growing embryo with an increasing oxygen and fuel consumption. This is accompanied by an expanding cardiovascular system that is continuously adapting to the changing needs of the embryo. As the cardiovascular system is the first to function in an embryo we have to incorporate in our scientific thinking the forces generated by the heart with the local effects on the various components and segments as early as the heart is present. The cyclic activity of the heart generates both pressure and flow, both dampened and transmitted by the physico-chemical characteristics of the wall of the system and of the blood, incorporating their changing composition during development.
Institution: Leiden University Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,990
OpenAlex ID: W2027201913