The aorticopulmonary septum (also called the spiral septum, or aortic septum in older texts) is developmentally formed from neural crest, specifically the cardiac neural crest, and actively separates the aorta and pulmonary arteries and fuses with the interventricular septum within the heart during development.^[1][2]

The actual mechanism of septation of the outflow tract is poorly understood, but is recognized as a dynamic process with contributions from contractile, hemodynamic, and extracellular matrix interactions. Malalignment of the septum can cause the congenital heart condition Tetralogy of Fallot.

See also

• Aortopulmonary septal defect

References

External links

• http://isc.temple.edu/marino/embryology/Heart98/abnorm_text.htm