Introduction

The heart is a muscular pump responsible for the circulation of blood around the body. The cardiac muscle receives its blood supply via the coronary circulation.

This site aims to provide a useful learning resource on the subject of coronary circulation, detailing its anatomy and highlighting some common diseases affecting these vessels.

Overview of the heart

The heart is composed of two separate pumps, one on the left side and one on the right. Each pump is divided into 2 chambers; an atrium and a ventricle.  Blood enters the heart at the two atria. Both atria contract simultaneously, forcing blood into the ventricles. The ventricles then contract to expel the blood from the heart.

On the right side of the heart, deoxygenated blood from the body arrives at the heart via the superior and inferior vena cavae. It enters the right atrium, and then the right ventricle before being expelled through the pulmonary artery towards the lungs for oxygenation. Oxygenated blood from the lungs enters the left side of the heart via the pulomnary veins. It passes from the left atrium to left ventricle before being propelled out through the aorta which carries the oxygenated blood around the body