Cardiac development involves a dynamic interaction between the processes of growth (mass change), remodeling (property change), and morphogenesis (shape change). In this presentation, an overview of the primary events during development of the heart will be given. Then, techniques for modeling these processes will be discussed, with an emphasis on mechanical aspects. A general continuum theory will be presented for including the effects of large deformation, muscle activation, growth, and active cell shape change. Finally, the theory will be used to analyze relatively simple models of some developmental processes.

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