Aorta

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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.^[1]

1 The course of the aorta
2 Features
3 Diseases/pathology
4 References
5 External links

The course of the aorta

The aorta is usually divided into seven segments/sections^[2] ^[3] :

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.

Anterior (frontal) view of the opened 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
Aortic stenosis
Trauma, such as traumatic aortic rupture, most often thoracic and distal to the left subclavian artery^[4] and frequently quickly fatal^[5]

References

^ Maton, Anthea (1993). Human Biology and Health. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-981176-1.
^ 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)
^ De Graaff, Van: "Human Anatomy, fifth edition", pages 548-549. WCB McGraw-Hill, 1998 (ISBN 0-697-28413-1)
^ Samett EJ. http://www.emedicine.com/radio/topic44.htm Aorta, Trauma. eMedicine.com. Accessed on: April 24, 2007.
^ "Aortic Trauma in Scotland - A Population Based Study." (2006). European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 32 (6): 686-689. PMID 16750920.

External links

Look up Aorta in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Gray's s153 - descending aorta
Gray's s154 - abdominal aorta

Cardiovascular system

Systemic circulation	Heart → Aorta → Arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cava → Heart

Pulmonary circulation	Heart → Pulmonary arteries → Lungs → Pulmonary vein → Heart

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

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

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aorta"

Categories: Arteries | Abdomen | Thorax | Cardiovascular system

Article keywords: anatomy aorta body education grays human yahoo, anatomy aorta body descending education grays human yahoo, enlarged aorta, aorta aneurism, abdominal aorta, ascending aorta, aorta dissection, tortuous aorta, coarctation of the aorta,

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