“Aorta”  

  In our body's vascular system, the Aorta, a systemic artery, and our largest diameter and thickest walled artery, is the main trunk that distributes oxygenated blood to all parts of the body through systemic circulation.

In our body, all systemic arteries are branches of the Aorta, either direct or indirect.
  In our body's vascular system, the Aorta is the main trunk of the systemic arteries carrying oxygenated blood, that originates by ascending from the left ventricle of the heart, curving posteriorly and to the left, then descending through the thorax and abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries the (right and left) common iliac arteries.

In our body, the geography of the Aorta divides it into three portions: ascending aorta, aortic arch (arch of aorta), and descending aorta.

The descending aorta is further subdivided into the thoracic arota and Abdominal Aorta.

Aorta Pathway

  

• ascending aorta
• aortic arch (arch of aorta)
• descending aorta
  • thoracic aorta
  • abdominal aorta

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“Ascending Aorta”  

  In our body's torso, the Ascending Aorta is a portion of the Aorta commencing at the upper part of the base of the left ventricle in the heart, on a level with the lower border of the third costal cartilage behind the left half of the sternum.

Aorta Branches

  In our body, the Ascending Aorta branches to the two coronary arteries which supply the heart, arising near the commencement of the aorta from the aortic sinuses which are located opposite the aortic valve.
  

• Aorta Precursor: fetal truncus arteriosus
• Aorta Source: left ventricle
• Aorta Branches:
  • coronary arteries
    • right coronary artery
    • left coronary artery (left main coronary artery)
  • continues as the aortic arch

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“Thoracic Aorta”  

  In our body's arterial blood system, the artery, thoracic aorta is the portion of the descending aorta proceeding from the aortic arch (arch of aorta) and extending to the diaphragm (thoracic diaphragm), eventually connecting to the abdominal aorta.

The Thoracic Aorta is composed of an aortic media with regular elastic lamellae alternating with smooth muscle cell layers aligned between the normal elastic lamellae. Layers of endothelial cells constitute aortic intima lying on the internal elastic lamina. In the normal aorta, well-formed elastin fibers display in a lamellar pattern.
  The Thoracic Aorta begins at the level of the T5 vertebra, continuing through to the diaphragm at the level of the T12 vertebra, initially traveling within the mediastinum to the left of the vertebral column.

As the thoracic aorta passes through the thoracic region, it gives rise to several branches, collectively referred to as visceral branches and parietal branches. **

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“Aortic Arch Artery (Arch of Aorta)”  

Aortic Arch Artery

  In our body's thorax region (chest), the Aortic Arch (Arch of Aorta) is the part of the aorta that begins at the level of the upper border of the second sternocostal articulation of the right side, and runs at first upward, backward, and to the left in front of the trachea; it is then directed backward on the left side of the trachea and finally passes downward on the left side of the body of the fourth thoracic vertebra, at the lower border of which it becomes continuous with the descending aorta.
  The three major branches of the aortic arch are:

• brachiocephalic artery (brachiocephalic trunk)
• left common carotid artery
• left subclavian artery

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“Abdominal Aorta”  

  In our body's arterial system, the Abdominal Aorta is the part of the aorta from the diaphragm (thoracic diaphragm) to the beginning of the iliac arteries at the bifurcation of the right and left common iliac arteries. **

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