The main difference between coronary and carotid artery is that coronary artery flow is diastolic and the blood flows when the heart does not generate pressure whereas carotid artery flow is systolic, and the blood flows when the heart generates pressure.
Coronary and carotid arteries are two types of arteries that occur in the heart. Both arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Coronary Artery
– Definition, Structure, Function
2. What is Carotid Artery
– Definition, Structure, Function
3. Similarities Between Coronary and Carotid Artery
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Coronary and Carotid Artery
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Coronary Artery, Carotid Artery
What is Coronary Artery
The coronary artery is the arterial blood vessel of the coronary circulation. Generally, there are two types of coronary arteries. They are the left coronary artery and right coronary artery. The coronary artery arises just above the semilunar valves of the aorta. The left coronary artery branches into four arteries: the left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery, posterior descending artery, and Ramus or intermediate artery. In addition, there are two areas of the heart categorized based on blood circulation: epicardial areas (outermost tissue of the heart) and microvascular areas (innermost tissue of the heart).
Figure 1: Left and Right Coronary Artery
The coronary artery supplies oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. Moreover, the heart muscle requires oxygen for survival and function. In addition, the heart muscle requires a high oxygen supply than other tissues in the body. In order to supply oxygen to the heart muscle, the coronary artery wrap around the whole heart muscle.
Furthermore, the reduced function of the coronary arteries leads to the decreased flow of oxygen as well as nutrients to the heart muscle. This also affects the heart’s ability to pump blood through the body. Apart from that, diseases and disorders of the coronary artery can lead to heart attack, angina, and even death.
What is Carotid Artery
The carotid artery is the artery that supplies blood to the head. In general, there are three types of carotid arteries: common carotid artery, external carotid artery, and internal carotid artery. The common carotid artery arises from the arch of the aorta. The common carotid artery supplies blood to each side of the neck. In addition, in the neck, the external carotid artery arises from the common carotid artery. Generally, it runs on each side of the head and neck and supplies oxygenated blood to the neck, scalp, skull, meninges, and face.
Figure 2: Carotid Arteries
Moreover, the internal carotid artery arises from the external carotid artery, supplying oxygenated blood to the anterior circulation of the brain. Besides, the division of the external carotid artery and internal carotid artery occurs at the cervical vertebrae C3 and C4 levels. The carotid artery also occurs in the neck.
Furthermore, the narrowing of the carotid artery due to atherosclerosis is called carotid artery disease. Meanwhile, the building up of plaques inside the carotid artery can lead to transient ischemic attack or stroke.
Similarities Between Coronary and Carotid Artery
- Coronary and carotid arteries are two types of arteries that carry oxygenated blood from the heart.
- They contain a high blood pressure than other blood vessels in the circulatory system.
- They are close to the aorta.
Difference Between Coronary and Carotid Artery
Definition
The coronary artery refers to the arteries that supply blood to the heart while the carotid artery refers to the major artery that carries blood to the head.
Occurrence
The coronary artery arises just above the semilunar valves of the heart while the carotid artery arises at the arch of the aorta.
Diameter
Moreover, the coronary artery has a lower diameter while the carotid artery has a higher diameter.
Types
The coronary artery has two types as left coronary artery and right coronary artery, while the carotid artery has three types: common carotid artery, external carotid artery, and internal carotid artery.
Main Function
The coronary artery supplies blood to the heart while the carotid artery supplies blood to the head.
Microcirculation
Microcirculation occurs in the coronary artery while microcirculation does not occur in the carotid artery.
Conclusion
In brief, the coronary artery and carotid artery are two types of arteries that arise from the heart. They carry oxygenated blood away from the heart. Generally, the coronary artery arises just above the semilunar valves of the heart. In addition, it carries blood to the heart. There are two types of coronary arteries: they are the left coronary artery and the right coronary artery. The carotid artery, on the other hand, arises at the arch of the aorta, supplying blood to the head of the body. There are three types of carotid arteries: common carotid artery, external carotid artery, and internal carotid artery. Therefore, the main difference between coronary and carotid artery is their function.
References:
- “Coronary Arteries.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Nov. 2022,
- “What Are the Carotid Arteries?” Cleveland Clinic,
Image Courtesy:
- “Coronary arteries” By Mikael Häggström – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
- “Blausen 0170 CarotidArteries” By BruceBlaus – Own Work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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