The small cardiac vein, also known as the right coronary vein, is a coronary vein that drains the

right atrium The atrium ( la, ātrium, , entry hall) is one of two upper chambers in the heart that receives blood from the circulatory system. The blood in the atria is pumped into the heart ventricles through the atrioventricular valves. There are two atr ...

and

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 upper ...

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 ...

. Despite its size, it is one of the major drainage vessels for the heart.

Location

The small cardiac vein runs in the

coronary sulcus The coronary sulcus (also called coronary groove, auriculoventricular groove, atrioventricular groove, AV groove) is a groove on the surface of the heart at the base of right auricle that separates the atria from the ventricles. The structure co ...

between the right atrium and right ventricle, and opens into the right extremity of the

coronary sinus In anatomy, the coronary sinus () is a collection of veins joined together to form a large vessel that collects blood from the heart muscle ( myocardium). It delivers deoxygenated blood to the right atrium, as do the superior and inferior ven ...

Function

The small cardiac vein receives

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

from the posterior portion of the right atrium and ventricle.

Variations

The small cardiac vein may drain to the

middle cardiac vein The middle cardiac vein commences at the apex of the heart; ascends in the posterior longitudinal sulcus, and ends in the coronary sinus In anatomy, the coronary sinus () is a collection of veins joined together to form a large vessel that c ...

, or be absent.

References

External links

* - "Anterior view of the heart." {{Authority control Veins of the torso