# Pericardium --- The **pericardium** is the [[serous membrane]] that surrounds and protects the [[heart]]. It is a little different from other serous membranes because it has a fibrous part too. The part of the pericardium that is attached to the heart itself is the **visceral pericardium**, also called the **epicardium**, and the part that is attached to the thoracic cavity wall is the **periatel pericardium**. The area between the visceral and parietal pericardium is the **pericardial cavity**, which contains serous fluid. ![[pericardium.png]] ___