What is an Aorta?
The aorta is both the main artery of the body and the largest artery in the body. It acts as the central supply source of oxygenated blood flow throughout the body and plays a large role in circulation. Beginning at the heart’s left ventricle, the aorta travels upwards, slightly over and then down through the abdomen, where it branches off into the left and right iliac arteries that run through the legs. The aorta is often referred to in divided sections called the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, the thoracic or descending aorta and the abdominal aorta. The ascending aorta is the section that goes up directly from the heart. The aortic arch is the part that arches slightly back and over the left lung. As it goes down again through the thorax, it becomes the thoracic, or descending, aorta and then the abdominal aorta before it divides into the iliac arteries. The aorta also branches off into smaller arteries that travel to the neck, the head and the arms, which essentially supply the
