The right marginal branch of right coronary artery (or right marginal artery) is the largest marginal branch of the
right coronary artery
In the blood supply of the heart, the right coronary artery (RCA) is an artery originating above the right cusp of the aortic valve, at the right aortic sinus in the heart. It travels down the right coronary sulcus, towards the crux of the hea ...
. It follows the acute margin of the
heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
. It supplies blood to both surfaces of the
right ventricle
A ventricle is one of two large chambers toward the bottom of the heart that collect and expel blood towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The blood pumped by a ventricle is supplied by an atrium, an adjacent chamber in the uppe ...
.
Structure
The right marginal branch is the largest branch to split off from the
right coronary artery
In the blood supply of the heart, the right coronary artery (RCA) is an artery originating above the right cusp of the aortic valve, at the right aortic sinus in the heart. It travels down the right coronary sulcus, towards the crux of the hea ...
.
It often anastomoses with the nearby parallel
posterior interventricular artery
In the coronary circulation, the posterior interventricular artery (PIV, PIA, or PIVA), most often called the posterior descending artery (PDA), is an artery running in the posterior interventricular sulcus to the apex of the heart where it meets ...
, which itself is usually a continuation of the right coronary artery.
Variation
The right marginal branch may reach the distal part of the
posterior interventricular sulcus
The posterior interventricular sulcus or posterior longitudinal sulcus is one of the two grooves that separates the ventricles of the heart
The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through th ...
.
Function
The right marginal branch primarily supplies the
right ventricle
A ventricle is one of two large chambers toward the bottom of the heart that collect and expel blood towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The blood pumped by a ventricle is supplied by an atrium, an adjacent chamber in the uppe ...
.
Additional images
File:Human heart with coronary arteries new.png, Human heart with coronary arteries
References
External links
* - "Anterior view of the heart."
Image
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Arteries of the thorax