An Illustrative Approach to Understanding the Developmental Processes of Atrial and Ventricular Septation of the Heart During Embryogenesis and How Errors in These Processes Lead to Congenital Septal Heart Defects

The main objective of this thesis project is to visually communicate, through the use of two-dimensional animations, the normal developmental processes of atrial and ventricular septation, as well as the abnormal development of these processes that result in both atrial and ventricular septal defects. The use of animation, as opposed to two-dimensional illustrations, will possibly increase understanding of these subjects and lead to advances in the treatment and therapy of cardiovascular disease, specifically heart defects, in children, eventually leading to advances in the treatment of heart disease in adults. Five separate animations were created and evaluated by an audience knowledgeable in the field of cardiovascular research and development. This thesis describes the current need for animations of this subject matter, documenting the available resources already found in the field, and describing the background, research, project design, and technical implementation of the design process used to create the final animations.