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aorta
Pronunciation (ā-ōr′tă, ā-ōr′tē)
- A large artery of the elastic type that is the main trunk of the systemic arterial system, arising from the base of the left ventricle and ending at the left side of the body of the fourth lumbar vertebra by dividing to form the right and left common iliac arteries. The aorta is subdivided into: ascending aorta; aortic arch; and descending aorta, which is in turn, divided into the thoracic aorta and the abdominal aorta.
Syn: arteria aorta
[Mod. L. fr. G. aortē, from aeirō, to lift up]
WebMD Medical Reference from "Stedman's Medical Dictionary"
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Stedman’s Medical Dictionary 28th Edition, Copyright© 2006_Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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