Final answer:
Myocardial infarction (MI), also known as a heart attack, is damage to the heart muscle caused by a lack of blood flow and oxygen due to a partially blocked coronary artery. It can occur when a coronary artery is blocked by plaque or when a portion of unstable plaque lodges in a smaller vessel. This restriction in blood and oxygen flow leads to the death of cardiac muscle cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
A partially blocked coronary artery referring to damage to the heart muscle resulting from a lack of blood flow and oxygen is known as myocardial infarction (MI) or a heart attack. It occurs when a coronary artery is partially blocked by atherosclerotic plaque or when a portion of an unstable plaque lodges in one of the smaller vessels, restricting blood and oxygen flow to the myocardium, causing death of the cardiac muscle cells.