The cardiovascular system, also known as the circulatory or vascular system, takes responsibility for a transformation of oxygen, nutrients, and other by-products of metabolism and promotes the required exchange of substances between cells, blood, and the environment (Klabunde 1). It consists of the heart and several types of blood vessels such as capillaries and arteries. The aorta is the largest and the main artery in the system. It arises from the left ventricle and runs down to the abdomen. The distribution of the oxygenated blood through the body is one of the main functions of the aorta (Klabunde 4). The structure of the aorta is complicated indeed to make the possibility to complete its functions in a human body. There are several sections with their functions and structures that promote an appropriate work of this type of blood vessel.
The aortic root is the beginning of the aorta. It contains two coronary arteries through which the main function of the aorta is complete. This section ends with an ascending aorta that is defined as the most defenseless aorta’s part. The curved aortic arch transports blood to the heart. The descending aorta is the next section following the arch that contains the arteries that promote the work of the spinal cord. The diaphragm is the place where the abdominal aorta begins and the descending aorta ends. The abdominal aorta provides the majority of organs with blood. All arteries have several layers, and the aorta is not an exception (Mitchell 484). In the aorta, there is the intima layer (a smooth surface that makes the flow of blood possible), the media layer (muscles and elastic fibers make expansion and contraction of the aorta possible with each heartbeat), and the adventitia layer (the additional support to the aorta consists of irregularly arranged nerve fibers and muscles).
There are situations when the blood vessel’s functions undergo considerable changes, and the disturbance of the organism takes place. As soon as a pathogen enters the body, malfunctioning is possible. Aortic diseases are the possible health problems that lead to morbidity and mortality (Sech et al. 99), and aortic dissection is one of the most frequent types of this disease people may suffer from. Aortic dissection happens when blood “separates the laminar planes of the media to form a blood-filled channel within the aortic wall” (Mitchell 504). It may be classic when blood moves from a true lumen to a false lumen (Sech et al. 99), traumatic, and rupture (that is usually catastrophic for people). As a rule, men between 40 and 60, who have antecedent hypertension, and younger adults, who may have systematic abnormalities such as Marfan syndrome, are under threat of having aortic dissection. For example, a higher pressure could lead to the disruption of an aorta that leads to the disruption of the thick aortic walls and a kind of lamination of all walls in the system. The result of such disruption is a considerable loss of blood and the inability to stabilize the condition of a person. In the majority of cases, when the disruptions are serious, a person dies during the first two weeks even if doctors discover the problem in a short period and start the required portion of treatment. Hypertension and Marfan syndrome are not the only reasons for this disease. People with a bicuspid aortic valve, traumas of the chest, or some insignificant aortic diseases are also under threat.
Works Cited
Klabunde, Richard. Cardiovascular Physiology Concepts. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011. Print.
Mitchell, Richard, N. “Blood Vessels.” Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, Professional Edition. Eds. Vinay Kumar, Abul K. Abbas, Nelson Fausto and Jon C. Aster. Philadelphia: Elsevier Health Sciences, 2014. 483-522. Print.
Sech, Candice, K., Jose Biller, Alain Heroux and Jeffrey Schwartz. “Aortic Diseases.” The Interface of Neurology & Internal Medicine. Ed. Jose Biller. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008. 99-108. Print.