Descending thoracic aorta
The aorta is an artery that conveys oxygenated blood from the heart to other parts of the body. It is one of the largest arteries in the body. The aorta gives off several paired branches as it descends. In descending order, these include the
Aortic arch
The final section of the aortic arch is known as the "isthmus of aorta". This is so called because it is a narrowing (isthmus) of the aorta as a result of decreased blood flow when in foetal life. As the left ventricle of the heart increases in size throughout life, the narrowing eventually dilates to become a normal size. If this does not occur, this can result in coarctation of the aorta. The ductus arteriosus connects to the final section of the arch in foetal life and the ligamentum arteriosum when the ductus arteriosus regresses.