| Lingual artery | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of the neck with muscles and arteries shown. Thelingual artery arises from the external carotid artery | |
 Veins of the tongue. The hypoglossal nerve has been displaced downward in this preparation (lingual artery labeled at center left). | |
| Details | |
| Source | External carotid artery |
| Branches | Sublingual artery Deep lingual artery |
| Vein | Lingual vein |
| Supplies | Genioglossus |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arteria lingualis |
| TA98 | A12.2.05.015 |
| TA2 | 4383 |
| FMA | 49526 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thelingual artery arises from theexternal carotid artery between thesuperior thyroid artery andfacial artery.[1] It can be located easily in thetongue.
The lingual artery first branches off from the external carotid artery.[1][2] It runs obliquely upward and medially to thegreater horns of thehyoid bone.[1]
It then curves downward and forward, forming a loop which is crossed by thehypoglossal nerve. It then passes beneath thedigastric muscle andstylohyoid muscle running horizontally forward, beneath thehyoglossus.[1][3] This takes it through thesublingual space.[4] Finally, ascending almost perpendicularly to the tongue, it turns forward on its lower surface as far as the tip of the tongue, now called the deep lingual artery (profunda linguae).
The lingual artery gives 4 main branches: thedeep lingual artery, thesublingual artery, the suprahyoid branch, and the dorsal lingual branch.[1]
Thedeep lingual artery (orranine artery) is the terminal portion of the lingual artery after the sublingual artery is given off. As seen in the picture, it travels superiorly in a tortuous course along the under (ventral) surface of thetongue, below thelongitudinalis inferior, and above themucous membrane.
It lies on the lateral side of thegenioglossus, the main large extrinsic tongue muscle, accompanied by thelingual nerve. However, as seen in the picture, the deep lingual artery passes inferior to the hyoglossus (the cut muscle on the bottom) while the lingual nerve (not pictured) passes superior to it (for a comparison, the hypoglossal nerve, pictured, passes superior to the hyoglossus). At the tip of the tongue, it is said to anastomose with the artery of the opposite side,[1] but this is denied byHyrtl.[citation needed] In the mouth, these vessels are placed one on either side of thefrenulum linguæ.
Thesublingual artery arises at the anterior margin of the hyoglossus, and runs forward between the genioglossus andmylohyoid muscle to thesublingual gland.[3]
It supplies the gland and gives branches to the mylohyoideus and neighboring muscles, and to the mucous membrane of themouth andgums.
One branch runs behind thealveolar process of themandible in the substance of the gum to anastomose with a similar artery from the other side; another pierces the mylohyoideus and anastomoses with the submental branch of thefacial artery.
The lingual artery supplies the tongue.[6] It also supplies thepalatine tonsils.[7]
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 553 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
