This section is dedicated to the evolution of the chordate circulatory system. We will trace the path from the pulsating ventral aorta of amphioxus to the highly perfected four-chambered heart of birds and mammals. Understanding these biological processes is not merely a tribute to fundamental science, but the key to understanding clinical anatomy.
The material consistently covers the phylogeny of circulation in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. A separate, clinically oriented module is devoted to the embryogenesis of the human cardiovascular system: from the initial cardiac primordium to the formation of the aortic arches and venous bed.
Colloquia and exams most frequently test the connection between ontogeny and phylogeny (the biogenetic law). During your preparation, pay special attention to the mechanisms underlying congenital malformations of the heart and great vessels—most of these can be explained by evolutionary remnants and disruptions at specific stages of early embryogenesis.