Descending Aorta
The structure indicated is the
descending aorta. The
aorta consist of the
ascending aorta, the
aortic arch, and the
descending aorta. The descending aorta is the
largest artery in the human body and consists of a
thoracic part and an
abdominal part. The descending aorta passes through the
aortic hiatus of the
diaphragm together with the
azygos vein and
thoracic duct to enter the abdominal cavity where it is then referred to as the
abdominal aorta. The abdominal aorta terminates by dividing at the
aortic bifurcation into the
common iliac arteries at the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra.