Question

What is another name for the visceral pericardium?

Answer 1

Hint:The visceral serous pericardium is the outer covering of the myocardium.
It joins the parietal serous pericardium at the base of the heart.

Complete answer:
The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the superior and inferior vena cava, pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein and the aorta. The pericardium has two layers, the outer fibrous pericardium which is made up of strong connective tissue and the inner serous pericardium. The pericardial cavity is enclosed by the pericardium which holds the pericardial fluid. The pericardium isolates the heart from the body and acts as a protective layer by protecting the heart from infection, trauma and lubricates the heart.
The fibrous pericardium is the outermost layer of the pericardium and is made up of both dense and loose connective tissue. It is mostly non-pliable and hence protects the heart from blunt force trauma and sudden external changes in pressure. It is also attached to the posterior surface of the sternum.
The serous pericardium is the inner layer of the pericardium and is further divided into two layers, parietal serous pericardium and visceral serous pericardium.
The parietal serous pericardium forms the lining of the interior of the pericardial sac. It is fused to the fibrous pericardium and is immovable.
The visceral serous pericardium is covering for the myocardium of the heart and is considered as the serosa of myocardium. It is also known as the epicardium.

Note:
The visceral serous pericardium is made up of a mesothelium over some loose connective tissue that are elastin-rich.
The wave of depolarization moves to the epicardium from the endocardium during ventricular contraction.