What is the main artery called?
The main artery is called the aorta. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as the largest artery in the body.
What it is
- The largest artery in the body.
- Arches out of the top of the heart and descends through the chest and abdomen.
- All systemic arteries branch, directly or indirectly, from the aorta.
Where it is
- Arises from the left ventricle at the base of the heart.
- Ascends, arches to the left, then descends through the chest.
- Passes through the diaphragm and continues into the abdomen.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
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