When the heart beats, it pumps blood from the left ventricle into the largest artery of the body known as the aorta. This thick blood vessel travels from the heart to the hip and branches off many times to supply both organs and muscles with nutrients and oxygen.
Blood vessels in the body are split up into arteries, veins, and capillaries. The aorta is an artery, meaning that it carries blood away from the heart.
The region of the aorta above the diaphragm is referred to as the thoracic aorta. Blood from the thoracic aorta supplies the chest muscles and the lungs, bronchii, and esophagus.
The portion of the descending aorta below the diaphragm is known as the abdominal aorta. Blood from this portion of the aorta supplies all the major gut organs (such as the liver, kidneys, spleen, intestines, and stomach) and then supplies the legs by splitting off into two iliac arteries at the hip.
Due to the high pressure in the aorta, aneurysms of this artery are fairly common. When the aorta balloons at a certain point, it is more likely to rupture. Also, the aorta may be narrowed in a developmental condition known as coarctation, which forces the heart to pump harder than usual.