Aorta
Say it: ay-OR-tuh
The aorta is the body's largest artery, carrying oxygenated blood out of the heart's left ventricle to the arteries that supply every organ.
Also: aortae
Definition
What is the aorta?
The aorta leaves the top of the left ventricle, where the aortic valve stops blood flowing back into the heart between beats. The short ascending aorta gives off the coronary arteries that feed the heart muscle, then curves backward and to the left as the aortic arch. The arch sends three large branches to the head, neck and arms: the brachiocephalic trunk, which serves the right side, and separate left common carotid and subclavian arteries. The descending aorta continues down beside the spine as the thoracic aorta, passes through the diaphragm and becomes the abdominal aorta, which supplies the gut, kidneys and other organs before it forks, near the fourth lumbar vertebra, into the right and left common iliac arteries.
The aorta is an elastic artery. Its thick wall, rich in elastic fibers, stretches as each heartbeat forces blood in and recoils between beats, smoothing the pulsing flow and keeping blood moving while the heart refills. Pressure sensors in the arch help the brain regulate blood pressure.
Atherosclerosis and high blood pressure can weaken the wall and produce an aneurysm, a balloon-like bulge most often in the abdominal aorta, which may rupture. In an aortic dissection, blood forces its way between the layers of the wall. Both are life-threatening emergencies.
Word parts
Where does the word “aorta” come from?
- aorta
- that which is lifted or hung upGreek aorte, from aeirein (to lift)
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Terms that go with it
- HeartThe heart is the hollow, muscular organ in the chest whose four chambers pump blood through the lungs and then around the rest of the body.
- Blood pressureBlood pressure is the force that circulating blood exerts on the walls of the arteries, recorded as systolic over diastolic pressure in mm Hg.
- AtherosclerosisAtherosclerosis is a disease in which fatty plaque builds up inside artery walls, stiffening and narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow.
- Cardiac outputCardiac output is the volume of blood each ventricle of the heart pumps in one minute, equal to heart rate multiplied by stroke volume.
- Cardiac cycleThe cardiac cycle is the sequence of contraction and relaxation of the heart's chambers that makes up one complete heartbeat.
- DiaphragmIn anatomy, the diaphragm is the dome-shaped sheet of muscle and tendon dividing the chest from the abdomen, and the main muscle of breathing.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 20.5 Circulatory Pathways
- SEER Training Modules: Pathways of the Blood Vessels
- MedlinePlus: Aortic Aneurysm
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