Courtesy of Intermountain Medical Imaging, Boise, Idaho.

Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the normal smooth appearance of the large blood vessel (aorta) that carries blood from the heart.

Figure 3 shows a narrowed and abnormal aorta from the buildup of calcium and fat (cholesterol) in the inner lining of the artery, often called "hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis).