The infundibulum (also known as ''conus arteriosus'') is a conical pouch formed from the upper and left angle of the
right ventricle
A ventricle is one of two large chambers located toward the bottom of the heart that collect and expel blood towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The blood pumped by a ventricle is supplied by an atrium (heart), atrium, an adjace ...
in the
chordate
A chordate ( ) is a bilaterian animal belonging to the phylum Chordata ( ). All chordates possess, at some point during their larval or adult stages, five distinctive physical characteristics ( synapomorphies) that distinguish them from ot ...
heart
The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
, from which the
pulmonary trunk
A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the ''main pulmonary artery'' or ''pulmonary trunk'' from the heart, and t ...
arises. It develops from the
bulbus cordis. Typically, the infundibulum refers to the corresponding internal structure, whereas the conus arteriosus refers to the external structure. Defects in infundibulum development can result in a heart condition known as
tetralogy of Fallot
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), formerly known as Steno-Fallot tetralogy, is a congenital heart defect characterized by four specific cardiac defects. Classically, the four defects are:
* Pulmonary stenosis, which is narrowing of the exit from the r ...
.
A tendinous band extends upward from the
right atrioventricular fibrous ring and connects the posterior surface of the infundibulum to the
aorta
The aorta ( ; : aortas or aortae) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the Ventricle (heart), left ventricle of the heart, branching upwards immediately after, and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits at ...
. The infundibulum is the entrance from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery and pulmonary trunk. The wall of the infundibulum is smooth.
Additional images
File:Gray490.png, Front view of human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
heart and lungs.
References
Cardiac anatomy
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