The atrium (plural: atria) is one of the two blood collection chambers of the heart.

It was
previously called the auricle, but that name has now been in use as being synonymous with the
right or left atrial appendage.[1] The atrium is a chamber in which blood enters the heart, as
opposed to the ventricle, where it is pushed out of the organ. It has a thin-walled structure that
allows blood to return to the heart. There is at least one atrium in animals with a closed
circulatory system.
The atrium receives blood as it returns to the heart to complete a circulating cycle, whereas the
ventricle pumps blood out of the heart to start a new cycle.[2][3]