
Right Atrium (R.A.)
This section is about
Structures of the Heart
The right atrium is one of the main chambers of the heart. It is the upper chamber located on the right-hand side of the body.
The muscular walls of the atria of the heart (the left atrium and the right atrium) are thinner than those of the ventricles (the left ventricle and the right ventricle).
A wrinkled pouch-like structure called an auricle (due to its visual appearance resembling a dog's ear) is attached to the anterior surface of each atrium. The purpose of this structure is to increase the capacity of the atrium, and so increase the volume of blood that it is able to contain.
The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the vena cava and pumps it into the right ventricle (via the tricuspid valve).
More about the heart and blood circulation:
See the following for more about the heart, blood, blood circulation, disorders of the blood circulation system, and related topics.
- The Structure of the Heart
- The Functions of the Heart
- Systemic Circulation (i.e. blood flow around the body beyond the heart and lungs)
- Pulmonary Circulation (i.e. blood flow through the heart and lungs)
- Heart Conditions, heart problems and disorders, both chronic and acute
- Heart Disease Risk Factors, avoidable and unavoidable
- Discoveries about the circulatory system and how it works
- Books about heart disease.