On the anterior aspect of the heart, the right coronary artery gives rise to:

• SA nodal artery, which supplies the SA node.
• Conus artery, which supplies the base/infundibulum/conus of the pulmonary trunk.
• Right marginal branch, which supplies the wall of the right ventricle.

On the anterior aspect of the heart, the left coronary artery gives rise to:

• Anterior interventricular branch, which supplies the anterior aspect of both ventricular walls.
• Circumflex branch, which supplies the left atrium and left ventricle. (Remember, the left ventricular wall is thicker than the right because it has to generate more pressure to pump blood around the entire body).

Generally, the anastomoses that exist between the terminal branches of the right and left coronary arteries are not large enough to compensate if either coronary artery becomes blocked. This means that a big enough blood clot can quickly cause the cardiac muscle (myocardium) to die.