Pectinate muscles

Last revised by Craig Hacking on 8 Sep 2021

The pectinate muscles are "teeth of a comb" shaped parallel muscular columns that are present on the inner wall of the right and left atria.

The right atrium has thick and coarse pectinate muscles while these are few smooth and thinner in the left atrium. A prominent pectinate muscle in the right atrium known as the taenia sagittalis is present in the majority of people.

History and etymology

The term is derived from Latin word "pecten" which means comb.

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