Definition of Atria

Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) Slideshow

Atria: The plural of atrium. The atria are the two smaller chambers of the heart. Each atrium consists of an open space with recessed walls.

The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body through the vena cava and pumps it into the right ventricle which then sends it to the lungs. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood back from the lungs and pumps it down into the left ventricle for relatively high-pressure delivery to the body.

The atrium was an open area in the center of an ancient Roman home. The atria of the heart are also called the auricles (the Latin auricula means little ear) because they resemble the floppy ears of a dog.