SUMMARY: The heart plays a fundamental role in the circulatory system of mammals by distributing blood throughout the body. Despite its essential function, this organ is susceptible to a range of congenital or acquired diseases. Consequently, human medicine is constantly exploring innovative strategies to address these problems. In this context, the pig (Sus scrofa domestica) plays a prominent role as a research model in cardiovascular research.The anatomy of the human heart has been widely studied and documented, providing detailed information on its structure and function. On the other hand, the pig has become a relevant research model due to its anatomical similarity to humans. Although information on the anatomy of the pig heart is less extensive than that of the human, significant studies have been conducted in this field. This anatomical similarity allows pigs to be used as animal models in biomedical research, especially in cardiovascular diseases. In addition to their use in research and medicine, pig hearts are also valuable in the education of students and health professionals, providing a practical opportunity to understand cardiac anatomy. Given these considerations, the objective of this review is to analyze current knowledge of the anatomy of the pig heart (Sus scrofa domestica), as well as its comparative relationship to the human heart, with a focus on experimental and clinical applications. To this effect, an exhaustive search across various reliable bibliographic sources, encompassing books, scientific articles, theses and online resources. A total of 54 bibliographic sources were identified, of which 25 were textbooks of human and/or veterinary anatomy, 27 were peer-reviewed scientific articles and 2 were online resources. These materials were systematically categorized according to publication date, type of publication and indexing database. The findings reveal that, despite differences in certain anatomical aspects --such as the number of branches that originate from the aortic arch and the thickness of the pericardium-- there is an evident macroscopic similarity between the pig and human heart, distinguishing pigs from other mammals in this regard. These similarities include overall shape, size, ratio of body and cardiac weight, as well as the distribution of cardiac blood vessels. In conclusion, the anatomy of both human and pig hearts remains a complex and evolving field of study. Comparative anatomical research underscores the pig as a highly valuable biological research model in cardiovascular science, reinforcing its role in advancing medical knowledge and therapeutic innovation.
KEY WORDS: Pig heart; Human heart; Human and veterinary anatomy; Experimental cardiology medicine.
