The heart's own arteries
Coronary arteries · arteriae coronariae
The arteries that crown the heart and feed its hard-working muscle.
What it does
The left and right coronary arteries leave the base of the aorta and wrap around the surface of the heart like a crown. Their branches dive into the heart muscle, supplying the oxygen it needs to beat about 100,000 times a day.
Surprising fact
Coronary arteries fill mainly between heartbeats, when the heart muscle relaxes, rather than while it contracts.
Why it matters
When fatty plaques narrow a coronary artery, the heart muscle can be starved of oxygen, causing chest pain; a complete blockage causes a heart attack. Not smoking and controlling cholesterol and blood pressure protect them.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.