Description
Two arteries of the heart, the coronary arteries, arise from the proximal portion of the ascending aorta. These are the right and left coronary arteries.
The right coronary artery travels within the coronary sulcus and gives off the right marginal artery and, in the majority of individuals, the posterior interventricular artery. The left coronary artery also travels within the coronary sulcus and gives off the circumflex and anterior interventricular arteries.
The coronary arteries deliver blood to the myocardium and epicardium of the heart, while the endocardium receives its blood supply via diffusion or microvasculature directly from the heart chambers. The coronary vessels and their main branches sit in sulci that demarcate the atria and ventricles externally, and therefore, help delineating the chambers during cadaveric dissections.
Related parts of the anatomy
