The body's largest ~blood~ vessel, the |aorta|, arches out of the |heart| and down toward the lower body. It has a diameter of about one inch and ~blood~ rushes through it at a speed of about eight inches per second. The |aorta| is divided into several parts: the ascending |aorta|, the |arch of the aorta|, and the thoracic and abdominal portions of the descending aorta.
