Which artery runs in the left atrioventricular groove and supplies the left ventricle?

• A. Circumflex Artery
• B. Right Coronary Artery
• C. Left Coronary Artery
• D. Left Subclavian Artery

Answer: (A)

The important idea is that the heart’s coronary arteries travel in the grooves between chambers. The left atrioventricular groove (the coronary sulcus between the left atrium and left ventricle) is where the circumflex artery runs. It comes from the left coronary artery and supplies the left ventricle (and parts of the left atrium) from that groove. The right coronary artery stays in the right atrioventricular groove and mostly supplies the right side of the heart, while the left coronary artery is the main trunk that gives rise to the circumflex and the left anterior descending. The left subclavian artery is not part of the heart’s coronary circulation.