Which artery supplies the right atrium, right ventricle, inferior portion of the left ventricle, and posterior part of the interventricular septum?

Prepare for the Anatomy and Physiology II Milestone 1 Test with engaging questions, in-depth explanations, and focused study resources. Start your journey to excel in your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which artery supplies the right atrium, right ventricle, inferior portion of the left ventricle, and posterior part of the interventricular septum?

Understanding how the coronary arteries supply the heart helps explain why this distribution points to the right coronary artery. In most people, the right coronary artery travels in the right atrioventricular groove and gives branches to the right atrium and right ventricle. It also typically gives rise to the posterior descending artery, which runs in the posterior interventricular groove and supplies the posterior part of the interventricular septum as well as the inferior (diaphragmatic) wall of the left ventricle. So the areas listed—the right atrium, the right ventricle, the inferior portion of the left ventricle, and the posterior part of the interventricular septum—are all branches of the right coronary artery in that common pattern. The other arteries don’t cover this exact combination. The anterior interventricular artery (often called the LAD) mainly feeds the anterior wall and the anterior portion of the interventricular septum, not the posterior septum or inferior LV. The marginal arteries supply parts of the right ventricle along the margin but don’t typically supply the posterior IVS or the inferior LV. The left coronary artery supplies most of the left heart, especially the anterior wall via the LAD and the lateral/posterior aspects via the circumflex, not the specific posterior septal and inferior left ventricular regions described here.

Understanding how the coronary arteries supply the heart helps explain why this distribution points to the right coronary artery. In most people, the right coronary artery travels in the right atrioventricular groove and gives branches to the right atrium and right ventricle. It also typically gives rise to the posterior descending artery, which runs in the posterior interventricular groove and supplies the posterior part of the interventricular septum as well as the inferior (diaphragmatic) wall of the left ventricle. So the areas listed—the right atrium, the right ventricle, the inferior portion of the left ventricle, and the posterior part of the interventricular septum—are all branches of the right coronary artery in that common pattern.

The other arteries don’t cover this exact combination. The anterior interventricular artery (often called the LAD) mainly feeds the anterior wall and the anterior portion of the interventricular septum, not the posterior septum or inferior LV. The marginal arteries supply parts of the right ventricle along the margin but don’t typically supply the posterior IVS or the inferior LV. The left coronary artery supplies most of the left heart, especially the anterior wall via the LAD and the lateral/posterior aspects via the circumflex, not the specific posterior septal and inferior left ventricular regions described here.

More practice questions