Why is aorta the largest

The aorta is divided into three parts: the ascending aorta, where the aorta initially leaves the heart and points superiorly toward the head; the arch of the aorta where the aorta changes direction; and the descending aorta where the aorta points inferiorly toward the feet. Ascending Aorta : The aorta has three parts: the ascending, the arch and the descending.

The ascending aorta has two small branches, the left and right coronary arteries. These arteries provide blood to the heart muscle, and their blockage is the cause myocardial infarctions or heart attacks.

The arch of the aorta has three branches: the brachiocephalic artery, which itself divides into right common carotid artery and the right subclavian artery, the left common carotid artery, and the left subclavian artery. By the end of that curve, the aorta is directed downwards.

This portion is called the descending aorta. The descending aorta travels down the chest and becomes the abdominal aorta when it crosses the diaphragm. The abdominal aorta comes to an end just above the groin, where it splits into two arteries, one for each leg.

These are called the iliac arteries. The aorta is important because it gives the body access to the oxygen-rich blood it needs to survive. The head including the brain , neck and arms get oxygen from arteries that come off the aortic arch. Updated May Aorta Wall. Bicuspid aortic valve. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.

The Aorta. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Your Aorta: The Pulse of Life. Diseases of the Aorta and Its Branches. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Clinical Significance. What Is Diastolic Heart Failure? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Related Articles.

The Anatomy of the Aortic Arch. The Anatomy of the Ascending Aorta. Abdominal Aorta: Anatomy, Function, and Significance. What Causes Aortic Aneurysms? Read more. The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. This artery is responsible for transporting oxygen rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body. The aorta begins at the left ventricle of the heart, extending upward into the chest to form an arch. It then continues downward into the abdomen, where it branches into the iliac arteries just above the pelvis.

Considering the significant portion of the body that the aorta spans, it is helpful to break it down into the following four sections:. The aortic root is the portion of the aorta that is attached to the heart. A major part of the aortic root is the aortic valve, which allows blood to flow from the heart to the rest of the body when it is open and prevents blood from flowing backwards into the heart when it is closed.

Like the rest of the body, the heart also needs to get blood. The left and right main coronary arteries branch off of the aortic root to provide the needed blood to the heart. The ascending aorta begins at the sinotubular junction of the aortic root and extends up and out from the heart until it connects with the aortic arch. The aortic arch is the portion of the aorta that is in the shape of an arch and connects the ascending aorta with the descending aorta.

The major arteries that stem from the arch are: the brachiocephalic artery, the left carotid artery and the left subclavian artery. The brachiocephalic artery is responsible for carrying blood to the right arm and the right side of the brain, the left carotid artery provides the left side of the brain with blood and the left subclavian artery carries blood to the left arm.