A bend in the aorta which links the ascending aorta to the descending aorta.
That part of the aorta that extends from the ascending aorta, upward over the heart and then backward and down as far as the fourth thoracic vertebra. Stretch receptors in its outer wall monitor blood pressure and form part of the system maintaining this at a constant level.
A series of six pairs of vessels that develop in the embryo and connect the aortic sac with the dorsal aorta. During the fifth to seventh weeks of gestation, the arches undergo transformation, some persisting as functional vessels, others persisting as rudimentary structures and some disappearing entirely.