aorta

Last reviewed 01/2018

The aorta is the main artery of the body passing blood from the heart to peripheral tissues. All other arteries ramify from the aorta. Histologically, it is an elastic artery and its elasticitity allows it to store the kinetic energy of the blood and so modify the systolic pulse wave.

It originates from the left ventricle of the heart at the site of the aortic valve. It terminates at the division into right and left common iliac arteries within the abdomen. Between these areas, the aorta can be divided into continuous sections:

• thoracic aorta: that part of the aorta within the thorax. Further subdivided into:
• ascending aorta: from left ventricle to arch of aorta
• arch of aorta: the section arching over the left main bronchus. Intermediate to ascending and descending aorta.
• descending aorta: from aortic arch inferiorly to diaphragm
• abdominal aorta: that part of the aorta inferior to the diaphragm

The plural for more than one aorta is aortae. The adjective for items pertaining to the aorta is aortic.