Cardiac contraction is the process by which the heart muscle (myocardium) generates force to squeeze blood out of the chambers and into the circulation. It is triggered by an electrical impulse from the heart’s conduction system, which causes a rapid change in the electrical charge across the surface of each muscle cell (the action potential). … Read more
The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle (myocardium) itself. Despite being the body’s most powerful pump, the heart cannot use the blood flowing through its chambers directly; it relies on its own dedicated arterial supply. There are two main coronary arteries, both arising from the base of … Read more
Collateral vessels are alternative blood vessel pathways that carry blood around a blockage or an area of abnormal development. When a normal artery or vein is obstructed, narrowed, or absent, blood is redirected through smaller, pre-existing vessels that gradually enlarge and remodel over time to compensate. This process, known as collateralisation, is the body’s natural … Read more