The oxygenated blood is then pumped from the left side of the heart to the rest of the body.
Within the heart itself there are several layers. The pericardium is a covering of fibrous tissue covering the large blood vessels which enter and leave the heart. The epicardium is just within the pericardium and secrets a lubricating fluid, or serum which prevents
the layers freom rubbing together. The myocardium is the muscular wall of the heart which forms a septum separating the right and left side of the heart. Situated within the muscle walls are the sino-atrial and atrioventricular nodes which supply the electrical stimulus from the autonomic system for the heart to contract.
Within the heart is the endocardium, this forms a smooth lining for the blood to flow over without clotting. However, folds of endocardium within the heart prevent blood from flowing in the opposite direction by acting as a valve.