Cardiovascular System Embryology and Development

Abstract

During the embryonic period, the heart is the first organ that is formed and starts functioning; this stage is the time that the embryo could not support its nutritional requirements just by the “simple diffusion from the placenta anymore “; so, the heart appears as a new organ. However, the development of the cardiovascular system is not a simple task and several timely mannered developmental steps are necessary to create cardiovascular structures, with appropriate functions and spatial configuration, including right-left direction. Any genetic, epigenetic, environmental, or other forms of unplanned perturbation could potentially lead to congenital cardiovascular disease. In this chapter, the development of the heart and vascular system is discussed, embedded with Clinical note which cite some of the related congenital heart disorders.