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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.

The course of the aorta

The aorta is usually divided into seven segments/sections :

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.

Diseases/pathology

References

External links

  • - Descending aorta
  • - Abdominal aorta



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Last updated on Sunday March 02, 2008 at 12:11:32 PST (GMT -0800)
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