Cardiac cell lineages that form the heart.

Myocardial cells ensure the contractility of the heart, which also depends on other mesodermal cell types for its function. Embryological experiments had identified the sources of cardiac precursor cells. With the advent of genetic engineering, novel tools have been used to reconstruct the lineage tree of cardiac cells that contribute to different parts of the heart, map the development of cardiac regions, and characterize their genetic signature. Such knowledge is of fundamental importance for our understanding of cardiogenesis and also for the diagnosis and treatment of heart malformations.