What it means
The main artery leaving the heart. It rises from the left ventricleVEN-trih-kulOne of the two lower chambers of the heart, or one of the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.Full entry , arches over the heart, and runs down through the chest and belly, where it splits into the arteries of the legs. All the body's major arteries branch from it. The aortic valve keeps blood from flowing back into the heart.
For the nurse
A weak, bulging section is an aortic aneurysmAN-yuh-riz-umA weak spot in the wall of an artery that bulges outward like a balloon.aneurysm a widening (Greek)Full entry . Report sudden, tearing chest, back or belly pain, which can mean a tear or rupture and is an emergency. Do not press deeply on a pulsing belly mass.
At a glance
| Spanish | aorta |
|---|---|
| Also written | aortic |
Related terms
ventricle
One of the two lower chambers of the heart, or one of the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.
artery
A blood vessel that takes blood from the heart out to the body.
aneurysm
A weak spot in the wall of an artery that bulges outward like a balloon.
circulation
The movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels around the body.