Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Endocardial tubes are embryonic structures that form the early foundation of the heart. They initially develop as separate parallel tubes which later fuse together to create a primitive heart tube.
Related terms
Cardiac looping: The process by which the primitive heart tube undergoes bending and twisting to form the mature structure of the heart.
The muscular tissue of the heart that develops around the endocardial tubes, providing it with the ability to contract and pump blood.
Septation: The division of the heart chambers by septa (walls), transforming the simple tube into a four-chambered heart, which is essential for separating oxygenated from deoxygenated blood