Keywords

cardiomyocytes; branching; connectivity; histology

Abstract

This thesis focuses on better understanding the structures of the heart at the micro-scale. Cardiomyocytes and the branching of cardiomyocytes are of specific interest. A literature review was performed to extract key information on cardiomyocyte size, the branching type and frequency of cardiomyocytes, and cardiomyocytes' organization in general. The purpose of conducting the literature review was to find quantifiable data on the micro-structure of the heart. Three studies in particular provided data on the branching of cardiomyocytes. Two of these studies were conducted on rat hearts, while one other study was conducted on human hearts. The methods and terminology between these studies vary, which presents challenges when comparing these studies to one another.

Key results found in the literature are then compared with data extracted from histological slices that have been previously acquired from donors in the College of Medicine at UCF. Using the features of ImageJ, images taken from these histological slides are processed to determine the percentage area of the extracellular matrix. The size of the cardiomyocytes can also be determined by measuring the length and width of the cells. In this study, the intercalated disks were utilized to determine individual cells. Lastly, the branching of the cardiomyocytes was quantified. This was accomplished by numbering the individual cells and making connectivity tables that tracked how the cells were connected to one another. The results presented in this thesis support the hypothesis previously found in the literature that cardiomyocytes form a connected, but not fully connected, network.

Thesis Completion Year

2024

Thesis Completion Semester

Summer

Thesis Chair

Perotti, Luigi

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Thesis Discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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Rights Statement

In Copyright