External Carotid Artery

The external carotid artery flows upward on the side of the head to branch into various structures in the neck, face, jaw, scalp, and base of the skull. The main vessels that originate from this artery are: (1) the superior thyroid artery, to the hyoid bone, larynx, and thyroid gland; (2) the lingual artery, to the tongue, muscles of the tongue, and salivary glands below the tongue; (3) the facial artery, to the pharynx (throat), palate, chin, lips, and nose; (4) the occipital artery, to the...

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Anatomy Terms

Brachiocephalic Trunk
Facial Artery
Facial Vein
Left Brachiocephalic Vein
Left Common Carotid Artery
Left External Jugular Vein
Left Internal Jugular Vein
Left Subclavian Artery
Left Subclavian Vein
Retromandibular Vein
Right Brachiocephalic Vein
Right Common Carotid Artery
Right External Jugular Vein
Right Internal Jugular Vein
Right Subclavian Artery
Right Subclavian Vein
Vertebral Artery

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Full External Carotid Artery Description

[Continued from above] . . . scalp on the back of the skull and various muscles in the neck; and (5) the posterior auricular artery, to the ear and scalp over the ear. The external carotid artery terminates by division into the maxillary and superficial temporal arteries.