Which is the largest artery in the human body?

The aorta begins at the top of the heart's left ventricle, arches over the heart and runs down through the chest and abdomen. In adults it is typically about 2.5 to 3 centimetres wide, roughly the width of a garden hose. Every heartbeat pushes blood into the aorta under high pressure, and its elastic walls stretch and recoil to keep blood flowing smoothly between beats. Major branches carry blood to the head, arms, organs and legs, and it finally splits into the two iliac arteries in the lower abdomen. A weakened, bulging section of the aorta is called an aortic aneurysm and can be life-threatening if it bursts.