Internal Anatomy and Organization of the Heart

Coronary Blood Vessels

Supplies blood to the heart muscles
Branches off the ascending aorta near its base
Major coronary vessels
Right coronary artery (RCA)
Left coronary artery (LCA)
Cardiac veins
Internal Anatomy and Organization of the Heart

Right Coronary Artery

Passes between the right auricle and pulmonary trunk
Major branches off the right coronary artery:
Atrial branches
Right marginal branch
Posterior interventricular branch
Conducting system branches
Figure 21.10a Coronary Circulation
Left common carotid Left subclavian artery
artery
Brachiocephalic Aortic
trunk arch
Pulmonary
trunk LEFT ATRIUM
Left coronary
Right artery (LCA)
coronary
artery Circumflex
(RCA) branch of LCA
Diagonal branch
RIGHT of LCA
ATRIUM Anterior
interventricular
branch of LCA
Great cardiac
vein
LEFT
Atrial VENTRICLE
RIGHT
branches
VENTRICLE
of RCA
Small cardiac
vein
Anterior cardiac
veins
Marginal branch
of RCA Coronary vessels supplying the
anterior surface of the heart
Figure 21.10c Coronary Circulation
Left common
carotid artery
Brachiocephalic
trunk Left subclavian artery

Aortic arch
Superior
vena cava
Pulmonary trunk
Ascending Pulmonary
aorta valve
Diagonal branch
Right auricle of LCA
Right coronary Great
artery cardiac vein
Anterior cardiac Anterior
vein interventricular
RIGHT ATRIUM branch of LCA

Small cardiac
vein
LEFT
Right marginal VENTRICLE
branch of RCA

RIGHT VENTRICLE

A cast of the coronary vessels showing the com-

plexity and extent of the coronary circulation. Cor-
onary vessels are also seen in Figure 21.6.
Internal Anatomy and Organization of the Heart

Left Coronary Artery

Major branches off the left coronary artery
Circumflex branch (branches to form the left marginal
branch and the posterior left ventricular branch)
Anterior interventricular branch (branches lead from the
anterior interventricular branch to the posterior
interventricular branch called anastomoses)
Left Marginal
Figure 21.10a Coronary Circulation
Left common carotid Left subclavian artery
artery
Brachiocephalic Aortic
trunk arch
Pulmonary
trunk LEFT ATRIUM
Left coronary
Right artery (LCA)
coronary
artery Circumflex
(RCA) branch of LCA
Diagonal branch
RIGHT of LCA
ATRIUM Anterior
interventricular
branch of LCA
Great cardiac
vein
LEFT
Atrial VENTRICLE
RIGHT
branches
VENTRICLE
of RCA
Small cardiac
vein
Anterior cardiac
veins
Marginal branch
of RCA Coronary vessels supplying the
anterior surface of the heart
Figure 21.10b Coronary Circulation
Circumflex Atrial branch
branch of LCA of LCA
Great cardiac vein

Marginal
branch of LCA
Posterior vein
of left ventricle
LEFT
Posterior ATRIUM
left ventricular
branch of LCA
Coronary
sinus
LEFT
VENTRICLE
RIGHT
ATRIUM
Small cardiac
vein
Right
RIGHT coronary
VENTRICLE artery (RCA)
Right marginal
branch of RCA
Posterior interventricular Middle cardiac
branch of RCA vein

Coronary vessels supplying the

posterior surface of the heart
Internal Anatomy and Organization of the Heart

The Cardiac Veins

Posterior vein of the left ventricle
Middle cardiac vein
Small cardiac vein
Anterior cardiac veins
Egly loves squirrels
All the above drain into the great cardiac vein
Great cardiac vein drains into the coronary sinus
All the above eventually lead to the right atrium
delivering blue blood
Figure 21.10b Coronary Circulation
Circumflex Atrial branch
branch of LCA of LCA
Great cardiac vein

Marginal
branch of LCA
Posterior vein
of left ventricle
LEFT
Posterior ATRIUM
left ventricular
branch of LCA
Coronary
sinus
LEFT
VENTRICLE
RIGHT
ATRIUM
Small cardiac
vein
Right
RIGHT coronary
VENTRICLE artery (RCA)
Right marginal
branch of RCA
Posterior interventricular Middle cardiac
branch of RCA vein

Coronary vessels supplying the

posterior surface of the heart
Figure 21.10d Coronary Circulation

Posterior vein
of left ventricle

LEFT
VENTRICLE

Coronary
sinus

RIGHT
Middle ATRIUM
cardiac
vein

RIGHT
VENTRICLE Right marginal
branch of RCA

Spiral scan of the heart showing the coronary veins

and coronary sinus. [Courtesy of Tera Recon, Inc.]
Internal Anatomy and Organization of the Heart

ANIMATION The Heart: Anatomy