The Aorta Is Named for Hanging
The aorta is the body's largest artery. Aristotle named it from a Greek verb meaning to lift or hang, because it appears to suspend the heart.
The aorta is the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the body. Aristotle gave it the name, from Greek *aeirein*, to lift or hang — the great vessel looked as though it suspended the heart from above. It is about the width of a garden hose and it carries every drop of blood the left ventricle pumps.
- The main artery. *The aortic arch.*
- Aortic — the adjective. *Aortic valve.*
- Aortic aneurysm — a dangerous bulge. *An aortic aneurysm.*
- Artery — a vessel carrying blood from the heart. *A blocked artery.*
- Greek — *aeirein*, to lift. *The naming verb.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | aorta | The aorta. |
| Plural | aortas | Also aortae. |
| Adjective | aortic | Aortic valve. |
| Greek | aorte | The great artery. |
| Related | artery | The main artery. |
- Blood leaves the heart through the aorta.Anatomy.
- The aortic valve was replaced.Surgery.
- Aristotle named it from a verb meaning to hang.History.
The route the aorta takes
- Ascending aorta — leaves the left ventricle upward
- Aortic arch — curves over, sending branches to head and arms
- Descending aorta — runs down through the chest
- Abdominal aorta — continues below the diaphragm
- It divides into the two iliac arteries serving the legs
Greek *aorte*, from *aeirein*, to lift or raise. Aristotle used it for the great artery, and English took it through Medieval Latin in the 1500s.
Why is it called the aorta?
Aristotle named it from a verb meaning to lift or hang, because the vessel seems to suspend the heart.
How large is the aorta?
In an adult it is roughly the diameter of a garden hose, around two to three centimetres.