Overview

The aorta is the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the entire body. The diameter of the aorta may vary between 2 to 3.5 cm.

It is divided in four sections. The section of the aorta that runs through the chest is called the thoracic aorta (it includes the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, and the descending aorta) and as the aorta moves down through the abdomen, it is called the abdominal aorta.