| Apex of the heart | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Sternocostal surface of heart. (Apex is not labeled, but is visible at bottom right.) | |
| Latin | apex cordis |
| Gray's | subject #138 527 |
The apex of the heart is the lowest superficial part of the heart.
It is directed downward, forward, and to the left, and is overlapped by the left lung and pleura.
External anatomy
It lies behind the fifth left intercostal space, 8 to 9 cm from the mid-sternal line, slightly medial to the midclavicular line.
Alternately, it can be found about 4 cm below and 2 mm to the medial side of the left mammary papilla.
External links
- Apex+of+heart at eMedicine Dictionary
- SUNY Labs 20:05-0104 - "Heart: Sternocostal Surface of the Heart"
- Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 02101.002-2
 |
This cardiovascular system article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
