Infarction is based on the Latin word “infarctus” which means “stuffed into.” It is the obstruction of the blood supply to a tissue or an organ, most often caused by the buildup of plaque on the walls of the cardiac arteries. This leads to tissue death as the affected area does not receive an adequate amount of oxygen. For instance, in a myocardial infarction or heart attack, the blockage of a coronary artery causes some heart cells to die.