Aorta

The aorta (pronounced "ay-OR-tuh") 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.

The course of the aorta

The aorta is usually divided into seven 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 a hard 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.

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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
• Trauma, such as traumatic aortic rupture, most often thoracic and distal to the left subclavian artery^[3] and frequently quickly fatal^[4]

  References

  1. ^ 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)
  2. ^ De Graaff, Van: "Human Anatomy, fifth edition", pages 548-549. WCB McGraw-Hill, 1998 (ISBN 0-697-28413-1)
  3. ^ Samett EJ. http://www.emedicine.com/radio/topic44.htm Aorta, Trauma. eMedicine.com. Accessed on: April 24, 2007.
  4. ^ (2006) "Aortic Trauma in Scotland - A Population Based Study.". European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 32 (6): 686-689. PMID 16750920. Retrieved on 2007-04-24. 

  
  

  External links

  

  Look up Aorta in
  Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  • Gray's s153 - Descending aorta
  • Gray's s154 - Abdominal aorta

  v • d • e Cardiovascular system
  Blood  |  Heart  → Aorta → Arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cava → Heart → Pulmonary arteries → Lungs → Pulmonary vein

  v • d • e List of arteries of torso - chest
  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) - common carotid
  Subclavian	internal thoracic: anterior intercostal - thymic - pericardiacophrenic - terminal (musculophrenic, superior epigastric) costocervical trunk: highest intercostal (posterior intercostal 1-2) - deep cervical
  Descending / thoracic aorta	visceral: bronchial - esophageal - mediastinal parietal: posterior intercostal 3-11 - subcostal - superior phrenic

  v • d • e List of arteries of torso - abdomen
  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
  AA: Posterior	visceral: middle suprarenal – renal (inferior suprarenal, ureteral) – gonadal (testicular ♂/ovarian ♀) parietal: inferior phrenic (superior suprarenal) – lumbar – median sacral terminal: common iliac (IIA, EIA)
  IIA: Anterior	umbilical (superior vesical, to ductus deferens) – middle rectal – obturator (anterior branch, posterior branch) – inferior gluteal (accompanying of ischiadic nerve, crucial anastomosis) uterine ♀ (helicine, vaginal of uterine, ovarian of uterine, tubal of uterine) – vaginal ♀/inferior vesical ♂ internal pudendal: inferior rectal – perineal (urethral) – posterior scrotal ♂/labial ♀ – bulb of penis ♂/vestibule ♀ – deep artery of the penis ♂ (helicine)/clitoris ♀ – dorsal of the penis ♂/clitoris ♀
  IIA: Posterior	iliolumbar (lumbar, iliac) – lateral sacral – superior gluteal
  EIA	inferior epigastric (cremasteric, round ligament) – deep circumflex iliac – femoral

  ar:أبهر (شريان)

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