What is the aorta?

The aorta is the largest artery in the body, through which all of the ‘red’ (oxygenated) blood is distributed around the body by the pumping of the heart.

 

Why is it important?

Go figure…

 

What can go wrong with it?

One way or another, the things that can go wrong with the aorta lead to it bursting. This can either occur suddenly when the aorta splits (aortic dissection) or as a result of progressive enlargement (aneurysm formation) leading to a blowout (rupture)