Heart Anatomy the Flow of Oxygen

• The inferior and superior vena cava brings oxygen-poor (blue) blood from the body into the right atrium. It is then pumped into the upper right ventricle.
• The pulmonary artery channels the oxygen-poor (blue) blood from the right ventricle into the lungs, where oxygen enters the bloodstream.
• The pulmonary veins bring oxygen-rich (red) blood to the left atrium. It is then pumped into the left ventricle, which pumps it into the aorta that channels the oxygen-rich (red) blood to the body.

A network of arteries and veins also carry blood throughout the body, through the rest of the circulatory system.

The Heart Anatomy - Our Muscle Needs Oxygen to Function

Like all the rest of the muscles in the body the heart muscle itself needs oxygen.

This oxygen flows to the heart through the heart's coronary arteries.

There are three main coronary arteries:

• The left anterior descending, the LAD
• The circumflex
• The Right coronary artery the RCA

In addition to those three, there are many branches that branch off from these main ones.

When there is insufficient blood flow due to coronary artery disease, then the heart doesn't get enough oxygen and begins to die. Being deprived of oxygen for even a brief period of time causes a heart attack.

The Heart

• Anatomy of the heart
• Heart anatomy ( this page)
• Diagram of the heart