Anatomy of the Cardiovascular System Quiz

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In normal anatomy, where do the right and left coronary arteries originate?

A Pulmonary trunk near its bifurcation
B Coronary sinus at its right atrial opening
C Aortic arch beside the brachiocephalic trunk
D Aortic sinuses just above the aortic valve ✓
E Left ventricular cavity below the aortic valve

The answer is D: Aortic sinuses just above the aortic valve

Explanation

Why D is correct

See Coronary Vessels. Option D is correct. The heart muscle (myocardium) is thick and works constantly, so it needs its own blood supply, which comes from the coronary arteries. These are the first branches of the aorta. The left coronary artery arises from the left aortic sinus and the right coronary artery arises from the right aortic sinus. The aortic sinuses are small pockets in the wall of the aorta, lying behind the left and right flaps (cusps) of the aortic valve. When the ventricles relax, in the phase called diastole, blood that tries to flow back towards the heart fills these pockets, which allows blood to enter the coronary arteries. This is why the muscle of the left ventricle receives most of its blood flow in diastole. The left coronary artery divides into the left anterior descending artery and the circumflex artery, and the right coronary artery supplies the right side of the heart and, in most people, the back of the heart. A useful rule is that the coronary arteries come off the aortic root, above the aortic valve.

Origin: The coronary arteries are the first branches of the aorta and come off the aortic root above the aortic valve.
Left and right: The left coronary artery arises from the left aortic sinus and the right from the right aortic sinus.
Filling: In diastole, blood fills the aortic sinuses and enters the coronary arteries.

Why the other options are incorrect

A. Pulmonary trunk near its bifurcation: The pulmonary trunk carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. It does not give rise to the arteries that supply the heart muscle. Coronary arteries carry oxygenated blood from the aorta.
B. Coronary sinus at its right atrial opening: The coronary sinus is a vein, the main channel that collects blood from the heart wall and returns it to the right atrium. It is a drain, not a source of arterial supply.
C. Aortic arch beside the brachiocephalic trunk: The aortic arch gives off the brachiocephalic trunk, the left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery, which supply the head, neck and arms. The coronary arteries come off the aorta lower down, at its root. This option would be the answer for the origin of the arteries to the head and arms.
E. Left ventricular cavity below the aortic valve: The cavity of the left ventricle is where blood is pumped from, but the coronary arteries do not arise inside it. They begin in the aorta, above the closed aortic valve. The valve separates the ventricle from the aorta.

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More questions from this set. Start the quiz to answer them and see each explanation.

1
In the usual branching pattern, which artery arises directly from the aortic arch to supply the left upper limb?
2
Which structure directly prevents atrioventricular valve leaflets from prolapsing back into the atria during ventricular systole?

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