Interatrial septum

The **interatrial septum** is a thin fibromuscular wall that separates the right and left atria of the heart. Its primary function in postnatal life is to prevent mixing of blood between these two chambers. During fetal development, it contains an opening called the foramen ovale that allows blood to bypass nonfunctional fetal lungs by flowing from the right to left atrium; this typically closes after birth. Abnormalities in its formation can result in conditions such as patent foramen ovale or other types of atrial septal defects, which may predispose individuals to cardiovascular complications including arrhythmias and increased risk of stroke. The interatrial septum is an anatomical structure rather than a molecular target like receptors or enzymes; therefore, it is not considered a therapeutic target itself but may be involved indirectly in procedures such as catheter ablation for arrhythmias[1][2][3][7].

Other names

Atrial septumSeptum interatriale (Latin)Septum atriorum