Compilation of free information about human parts, their function, assembly, repair, and maintenance
Aorta
The aorta (generally pronounced [eɪˈɔːtə] or "ay-orta") is the largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and bringing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation.
| Artery: Aorta | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| The thoracic aorta, heart and other great vessels. | |
| Gray's | subject #142 |
| Branches | thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta |
| MeSH | Aorta |
The course of the aorta
The aorta is usually divided into five segments/sections [1] [2] :
- Ascending aorta — the section between the heart and the arch of aorta
- Arch of aorta — the peak part that looks somewhat like an inverted "U"
-
Descending aorta — the section from the arch of aorta to
the point where it divides into the
common iliac arteries
- Thoracic aorta — the half of the descending aorta above the diaphragm
- Abdominal aorta — the half of the descending aorta below the diaphragm
Features
The aorta is an elastic artery, and as such is quite distensible. When the left ventricle contracts to force blood into the aorta, the aorta expands. This stretching gives the potential energy that will help maintain blood pressure during diastole, as during this time the aorta contracts passively.
Diseases/pathology
- Aneurysm of sinus of Valsalva
- Aortic aneurysm - myotic, bacterial (e.g. syphilis), senile, genetic, associated with valvular heart disease
- Aortic coarctation - pre-ductal, post-ductal
- Atherosclerosis
- Marfan syndrome
- Trauma, such as traumatic aortic rupture, most often thoracic and distal to the left subclavian artery[3] and frequently quickly fatal[4]
External links
The content of this section is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License (local copy). It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Aorta" modified May 31, 2007 with previous authors listed in its history.
