Coronary Arteries in a Transverse Section of the Male Heart, Ventral View

Description

Seen from the ventral (anterior) aspect in transverse section, the right and left coronary arteries course within the epicardial fat along the atrioventricular and interventricular grooves, wrapping around the cut surface of the ventricles. The left main coronary artery divides into the anterior interventricular branch (left anterior descending) descending inferiorly toward the apex and the circumflex branch running leftward in the coronary sulcus, while the right coronary artery tracks in the right atrioventricular groove toward the inferior wall. Within the sectioned myocardium, the right and left ventricular cavities are evident, with the left ventricle showing a thicker wall and a more circular lumen compared with the thinner, crescentic right ventricle. Short penetrating branches and arterioles can be inferred diving from the epicardial conduits into the ventricular muscle. This ventral transverse view is the teaching workhorse for correlating coronary territories with the anterior wall and septum, where occlusion of the LAD most often produces anteroseptal myocardial infarction and the classic precordial ST elevation pattern. Spatial relationships between the coronary sulci and the valve planes (mitral and tricuspid) also matter when you explain why ischemia can disrupt papillary muscle function and precipitate acute mitral regurgitation. Good coronary anatomy is never abstract. Use this illustration for gross anatomy and cardiology teaching on coronary dominance patterns, for angiography or CT coronary correlation in a radiology module, or as a figure in a surgical text discussing coronary artery bypass graft planning and anterior exposure. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.