The arterial blood supply of the heart walls and structures is provided by coronary circulation via the coronary arteries. Each person has two coronary arteries - left and right coronary arteries.

Both arteries arise from the beginning of the ascending aorta and give off branches that deliver oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the heart tissue.

The right coronary artery (RCA) (Read more!) gives rise to branches that mainly supply the right side of the heart, including the right ventricle and atrium, interatrial and interventricular septa, and sinoatrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) nodes.
The left coronary artery (LCA) (Read more!) supplies the left side of the heart - left atrium, left ventricle and interventricular septum. It is typically a short trunk that soon after it arises divides into two branches:
- Left anterior descending artery (LAD) (Read more!) - it is also called the anterior interventricular artery; supplies two-thirds of the anterior part of the interventricular septum and the anterior and inferior walls of the left ventricle;
- Left circumflex artery (LCx) (Read more!) - provides blood supply to the left atrium and posterior and lateral walls of the left ventricle.

The openings of the coronary arteries are called the coronary ostia, and they are located just above the aortic valve. The right coronary ostium is the opening of the RCA in the right coronary sinus (right sinus of Valsalva). In contrast, the left coronary ostium is the opening of the LCA in the left coronary sinus (left sinus of Valsalva).

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Coronary arteries (arterial blood supply of heart)