aorta

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aorta

A. arch of aorta B. abdominal aorta (Carlyn Iverson)

[New Latin, from Greek āortē, from āeirein, to lift.]

For more information on aorta, visit Britannica.com.

The main vessel of the systemic arterial circulation arising from the left ventricle of the heart; it is divided into three parts for convenience only. The first portion, the ascending aorta, passes upward under the pulmonary artery; the coronary arteries arise at the base of the ascending aorta behind the aortic valves. The second part, or aortic arch, curves over the hilum of the left lung, giving off the innominate, left carotid, and left subclavian arteries, which supply the neck, head, and forelimbs. The third portion, or descending aorta, continues downward in the thorax on the left side of the vertebral column to the diaphragm, giving off small arteries to the bronchi, esophagus, and other adjacent tissues. Below the diaphragm this vessel, known as the abdominal aorta, descends to the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra where it bifurcates into the two common iliac arteries supplying the hindlimbs.

In the abdomen the major branches of the aorta include the single celiac, superior mesenteric and inferior mesenteric, and the paired renal and internal spermatic (male) or ovarian (female) arteries. In addition, many small branches go to other organs and to the body wall.

The main arterial trunk of the systemic circulation. Consists of four parts: the ascending aorta, the arch of the aorta, the thoracic portion of the descending aorta, and the abdominal portion of the descending aorta.

The major artery in the body. It carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart.

The main blood vessel of the body; it carries blood from the left side of the heart to other arteries throughout the body. (See circulatory system.)

Pl. aortae, aortas [L.] the great artery arising from the left ventricle, being the main trunk from which the systemic arterial system proceeds. See also aortic.

• abdominal a. — the part of the descending aorta within the abdomen.
• ascending a. — the first part of the aorta which passes dorsally and cranially.
• descending a. — the aorta after it turns caudally at the aortic arch.
• overriding a. — see overriding aorta.
• supravalvular a. — the portion of aorta immediately above the aortic valve.
• terminal a. — the segment of the aorta immediately before it divides into the iliac arteries.
• thoracic a. — the part of the descending aorta within the thorax.

The aorta (pronounced /eɪˈɔrtə/; from Greek ἀορτή - aortē, from ἀείρω - aeirō "I lift, raise")^[1] is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and bringing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation.^[2] The aorta extends down to the abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries.

scheme of the aorta

Contents 1 The course of the aorta 1.1 In other animals 2 Features 3 Diseases/pathology 4 References 5 External links

The course of the aorta

The aorta is usually divided into five segments/sections:^[3][4]

• 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

In other animals

All amniotes have a broadly similar arrangement to that of humans, albeit with a number of individual variations. In fish, however, there are two separate vessels referred to as aortas. The ventral aorta carries de-oxygenated blood from the heart to the gills; part of this vessel forms the ascending aorta in tetrapods (the remainder forms the pulmonary artery). A second, dorsal aorta carries oxygenated blood from the gills to the rest of the body, and is homologous with the descending aorta of tetrapods. The two aortas are connected by a number of vessels, one passing through each of the gills. The fourth such vessel survives in amniotes as the arch of the aorta, while the others disappear or are incorporated elsewhere in the arterial tree. Amphibians also retain the fifth connecting vessel, so that the aorta has two parallel arches.^[5]

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.

Anterior (frontal) view of the opened human heart. White arrows indicate normal blood flow.

Diseases/pathology

• Aneurysm of sinus of Valsalva
• Aortic aneurysm - myotic, bacterial (e.g. syphilis), senile, genetic, associated with valvular heart disease
  • Dissecting aortic aneurysm
• Aortic coarctation - pre-ductal, post-ductal
• Atherosclerosis
• Marfan syndrome
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Aortic stenosis
• Trauma, such as traumatic aortic rupture, most often thoracic and distal to the left subclavian artery^[6] and frequently quickly fatal^[7]

References

1. ^ Illustrated Steadman's Dictionary, 24th ed.
2. ^ Maton, Anthea (1993). Human Biology Health. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-981176-1. 
3. ^ Tortora, Gerard J: "Principles of Human W. & Karen A. Koos: Human Anatomy, second edition, page 479. Wm. C. Brown Publishing, 1994. (ISBN 0-697-12252-2)
4. ^ De Graaff, Van: "Human Anatomy, fifth edition", pages 548-549. WCB McGraw-Hill, 1998. (ISBN 0-697-28413-1)
5. ^ Romer, Alfred Sherwood; Parsons, Thomas S. (1977). The Vertebrate Body. Philadelphia, PA: Holt-Saunders International. pp. 419-421. ISBN 0-03-910284-X. 
6. ^ Samett EJ. http://www.emedicine.com/radio/topic44.htm Aorta, Trauma. eMedicine.com. Accessed on: April 24, 2007.
7. ^ Tambyraja, A (2006). "Aortic Trauma in Scotland - A Population Based Study". European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 32 (6): 686–689. doi:10.1016/j.ejvs.2006.04.006. PMID 16750920. 

External links

Look up aorta in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Gray's s153 - Descending aorta
• Gray's s154 - Abdominal aorta

v • d • e Circulatory system: Arteries and veins (TA A12.2-3, GA 6.543/GA 7.641) Systemic circulation (Heart ) → Aorta → Arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cava → (Heart) Pulmonary circulation (Heart) → Pulmonary arteries → (Lungs) → Pulmonary vein → (Heart) Blood vessels Endothelium · Tunica intima · Tunica media · Tunica externa Vasa vasorum · Vasa nervorum Rete mirabile · Arteriovenous anastomosis Arteries Nutrient artery Veins Vena comitans · Superficial vein · Deep vein · Emissary veins · Venous plexus vascular navs: anat/physio/dev, noncongen/systemic vasculitis/congen/neoplasia, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc

v • d • e List of arteries of torso · chest (TA A12.2.01-04,11, GA 6.598) Pulmonary/ coronary Right coronary: SA nodal · AV nodal · Atrial · Right marginal · Posterior interventricular Left coronary: Anterior interventricular · Left circumflex (Left marginal) Ascending aorta/ aortic arch Brachiocephalic Thyreoidea ima · Right subclavian · Right common carotid Left common carotid External carotid · Internal carotid Carotid body · Carotid sinus · Carotid bifurcation Left subclavian Internal thoracic: Anterior intercostal · Thymic · Pericardiacophrenic · terminal (Musculophrenic, superior epigastric) Costocervical trunk: Highest intercostal (Posterior intercostal 1-2) · Deep cervical Other Aortic body Descending/ thoracic aorta visceral: Bronchial · Esophageal · Mediastinal parietal: Posterior intercostal 3·11 · Subcostal · Superior phrenic

v • d • e List of arteries of torso – abdomen (TA A12.2.12-15, GA 6.598) AA Anterior celiac left gastric esophageal branches splenic pancreatic branches (greater, dorsal) · short gastric · left gastro-omental common hepatic proper hepatic (cystic) · right gastric · gastroduodenal (right gastro-omental, superior pancreaticoduodenal, supraduodenal) SMA inferior pancreaticoduodenal · intestinal (jejunal, ileal, arcades, vasa recta)  · ileocolic (colic, anterior cecal, posterior cecal, ileal branch, appendicular)  · right colic · middle colic IMA left colic · sigmoid · superior rectal · marginal Posterior visceral middle suprarenal · renal (inferior suprarenal, ureteral) · gonadal (testicular ♂ / ovarian ♀) parietal inferior phrenic (superior suprarenal) · lumbar · median sacral · Coccygeal glomus terminal/ common iliac IIA Anterior umbilical superior vesical · to ductus deferens ♂ obturator anterior branch · posterior branch middle rectal vaginal branch ♀ uterine ♀ helicine · vaginal of uterine · ovarian of uterine · tubal of uterine V/IV vaginal ♀ · inferior vesical ♂ inferior gluteal accompanying of ischiadic nerve · crucial anastomosis internal pudendal inferior rectal · perineal(posterior scrotal ♂/labial ♀) · bulb of penis ♂/vestibule ♀ · urethral · deep artery of the penis ♂ (helicine)/clitoris ♀ · dorsal of the penis ♂/clitoris ♀ Posterior iliolumbar (lumbar, iliac) · lateral sacral · superior gluteal EIA inferior epigastric (cremasteric, round ligament) · deep circumflex iliac · femoral

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - aorta

Nederlands (Dutch)
aorta (lichaamsslagader)

Français (French)
n. - aorte

Deutsch (German)
n. - Aorta, Hauptschlagader

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ανατ.) αορτή

Italiano (Italian)
aorta

Português (Portuguese)
n. - aorta (f) (Anat.)

Русский (Russian)
аорта

Español (Spanish)
n. - aorta

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - aorta (anat.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
大动脉

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 大動脈

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 대동맥

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 大動脈

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الوتين : الشريان الأورطي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אב-עורקים, אבעורק‬

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