Aorta

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Aorta \A*or"ta\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to lift, heave.]
     (Anat.)
     The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to
     all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the
     arterial system.
     [1913 Webster]


  
     Note: In fishes and the early stages of all higher
           vertebrates the aorta divides near its origin into
           several branches (the aortic arches) which pass in
           pairs round the [oe]sophagus and unite to form the
           systemic aorta. One or more pairs of these arches
           persist in amphibia and reptiles, but only one arch in
           birds and mammals, this being on the right side in the
           former, and on the left in the latter.
           [1913 Webster]
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  aorta
       n : the large trunk artery that carries blood from the left
           ventricle of the heart to branch arteries
       [also: {aortae} (pl)]