THE RIGHT ATRIUM

 Has a main cavity and an auricle

 The superior and inferior vena cava and coronary sinus open into the right atrium
 Drains into right ventricle via the tricuspid valve
 Fetal remnants include the fossa ovalis (on the atrial septum, remnant of foramen ovale); annulus ovalis
(upper margin of fossa ovalis, lower edge of septum secundum)

THE RIGHT VENTRICLE

 Communicates with the right atrium (tricuspid valve) and the pulmonary artery (pulmonary valve with three
semilunar cusps). Pumps de-oxygenated blood to the lungs
 Cavity contains muscular projections called trabeculae carneae:

a) Papillary muscles - connected by chordae tendinae to the cusps of the?? tricuspid valve
b) Muscular projections, one of which traverses the cavity and transmits the right branch of the atrio- ventricular
bundle (moderator band)

THE LEFT ATRIUM

 Has a main cavity which is smooth and an auricle with muscular ridges
 Lies posterior to the right atrium and forms the base of the heart. Separated from the oesophagus by the
pericardium
 Receives 4 pulmonary veins and opens into the left ventricle via the mitral (bicuspid) valve

THE LEFT VENTRICLE

 Communicates with the left atrium (mitral valve, two cusps) and with the aorta through the aortic valve (three
cusps)
 Myocardium is three times thicker than that of the right ventricle
 Has trabeculae carneae and two large papillary muscles
 There is no moderator band (right ventricle only)

CONDUCTING SYSTEM OF THE HEART

Sino-atrial node

 Specialised cardiac muscle of the right atrium to the right of the opening of the superior vena cava
 Pacemaker
 Supplied by the left and right coronary arteries

Atrio-ventricular node

 Situated in the lower part of the atrial septum

 Supplied by the right coronary artery

Atrio-ventricular bundle

 Conducts impulses from the atrio-ventricular node to the ventricles

 Only muscular connection between atrial and ventricular myocardium
  Descends to reach the inferior border of the membranous part of the inter-ventricular septum
 Supplied by the right coronary artery

Right and left atrio-ventricular bundles

 Formed from the atrio-ventricular bundle in the upper border of the muscular part of the ventricular septum
 Right branch enters the moderator band
 Continuous with the Purkinje plexus
 Right branch is supplied by the right coronary artery, left branch by the left and right coronary arteries

BLOOD SUPPLY TO THE HEART

Right coronary artery

 From anterior aortic sinus

 Descends in the atrio-ventricular groove, supplying right atrium and ventricle
 Gives off marginal branch at the inferior border of the heart and a posterior interventricular branch

Left coronary artery

 From the left posterior aortic sinus

 Gives off anterior interventricular and circumflex branches
 Anterior interventricular branch supplies right and left ventricles and interventricular septum
 Circumflex branch supplies left atrium and ventricle

Venous drainage

 Coronary sinus, a continuation of the great cardiac vein. Drains into the right atrium
 Small cardiac and middle cardiac veins drain into the coronary sinus
 The anterior cardiac vein drains directly into the right atrium