The innermost layer of the heart is the epicardium and is referred to as the lining of the heart.

The innermost layer of the heart is the epicardium and is referred to as the lining of the heart.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. The epicardium is the outer surface

Answer: (B)

The heart has three layers in a specific order from inside to outside: the endocardium lining the chambers and valves, the myocardium the thick muscular middle layer, and the epicardium as the outer surface that also forms part of the pericardium. The epicardium is the visceral layer of the pericardium and covers the heart’s exterior, not its innermost lining. The inner lining of the heart chambers is the endocardium, while the epicardium sits on the outside and, with the parietal pericardium, creates the pericardial space with lubricating fluid. So terms like “innermost layer” and “lining of the heart” actually refer to the endocardium, not the epicardium.

The heart has three layers in a specific order from inside to outside: the endocardium lining the chambers and valves, the myocardium the thick muscular middle layer, and the epicardium as the outer surface that also forms part of the pericardium. The epicardium is the visceral layer of the pericardium and covers the heart’s exterior, not its innermost lining. The inner lining of the heart chambers is the endocardium, while the epicardium sits on the outside and, with the parietal pericardium, creates the pericardial space with lubricating fluid. So terms like “innermost layer” and “lining of the heart” actually refer to the endocardium, not the epicardium.