The aorta
Aorta · aorta
Your body's main artery, an arching pipe that carries blood from the heart to everywhere else.
What it does
The aorta leaves the left side of the heart, arches over the top of it and runs down in front of the spine through the chest and abdomen. Branches leave it to supply the heart, head, arms, gut, kidneys and legs. Just above the pelvis it splits into the two iliac arteries.
Surprising fact
The aorta is about as wide as a garden hose, and its elastic wall stretches with each heartbeat and recoils to keep blood flowing between beats.
Why it matters
With age and high blood pressure the aorta can stiffen or bulge. A swelling in the abdominal aorta, an aneurysm, often has no symptoms, which is why some countries screen older men for it.
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Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.