Aorta

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Artery: Aorta
The thoracic aorta, heart and other great vessels.
Gray's subject #142
Branches thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta
MeSH A07.231.114.056

The aorta (generally pronounced /eɪ.oʊɹ.tə/ or "ay-orta") 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.

Contents

[edit] The course of the aorta

The aorta is usually divided into three segments/sections [1] [2] :

[edit] 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.

[edit] Diseases/pathology

[edit] In popular culture

One of the Twin Peaks baddie, Windom Earle's better known lines is "I haven't felt this excited since I punctured Caroline's aorta".

[edit] 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. Aorta, Trauma. eMedicine.com. URL: http://www.emedicine.com/radio/topic44.htm. Accessed on: August 9, 2006.
  4. ^ "Aortic Trauma in Scotland - A Population Based Study.". Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. PMID 16750920.

[edit] External links

Look up Aorta in
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 v  d  e 
Cardiovascular system
Blood  |  Heart → Aorta → Arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cava → Heart → Pulmonary arteries → Lungs → Pulmonary veins → Heart
Arteries of thorax, abdomen, and pelvis edit

pulmonary - aorta - ascending aorta
right coronary (sinuatrial nodal, atrioventricular nodal, atrial, right marginal, posterior interventricular)
left coronary (anterior interventricular, left circumflex, left marginal)
aortic arch - brachiocephalic - thyreoidea ima - common carotid | (Gray's s141-Gray's s143)

DESCENDING AORTA / THORACIC AORTA: bronchial - esophageal - posterior intercostal - subcostal | (Gray's s153)

ABDOMINAL AORTA: Anterior - celiac: left gastric

splenic: pancreatic branches (arteria pancreatica magna) - short gastric - left gastro-omental

common hepatic: proper hepatic (cystic), right gastric, gastroduodenal (right gastro-omental, superior pancreaticoduodenal)

superior mesenteric: inferior pancreaticoduodenal - intestinal - ileocolic (appendicular) - right colic - middle colic

inferior mesenteric: left colic - sigmoid - superior rectal

Posterior - Visceral: middle suprarenal - renal (inferior suprarenal) - testicular/ovarian - Parietal: inferior phrenic (superior suprarenal) - lumbar - median sacral

Terminal branches: common iliac - marginal - internal iliac | (Gray's s154)

INTERNAL ILIAC: Anterior: umbilical (superior vesical, to ductus deferens) - inferior vesical - middle rectal - uterine (azygos of the vagina) - vaginal - obturator
internal pudendal: (inferior rectal, perineal, artery of the urethral bulb, urethral, deep artery of the penis, dorsal artery of the penis)
inferior gluteal (accompanying of ischiadic nerve, crucial anastomosis)
Posterior: iliolumbar - lateral sacral - superior gluteal | (Gray's s155)

EXTERNAL ILIAC: inferior epigastric (cremasteric) - deep circumflex iliac | (Gray's s156)