Coronary Circulation: The Heart's Own Blood Supply
What is Coronary Circulation?
The coronary circulation is essentially the heart's own personal blood supply system. Think of it as the heart's VIP service - while the heart is busy pumping blood to the rest of the body, it needs its own blood supply to function properly.
The word "coronary" comes from the Latin "corona" meaning crown, as these vessels form a crown-like ring around the heart.
Main Components of Coronary Circulation
1. Coronary Arteries
The coronary circulation begins with two main arteries that branch off from the aorta:
- Left Main Coronary Artery (LMCA)
- Splits into two branches:
- Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery
- Left Circumflex artery
- Supplies blood to the left ventricle and left atrium
- Splits into two branches:
- Right Coronary Artery (RCA)
- Supplies blood to the right ventricle and right atrium
- Also supplies the SA node (heart's natural pacemaker)
[Image: Diagram showing the heart with labeled coronary arteries branching from the aorta, highlighting the LMCA and RCA with their respective branches]
2. Coronary Veins
After delivering oxygen and nutrients, deoxygenated blood returns through:
- Coronary sinus (main vessel)
- Great cardiac vein
- Middle cardiac vein
- Small cardiac vein