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Information about Superficial Temporal Artery

Artery:
Outline of side of face, showing chief surface markings. (Superficial temporal a. visible at center, to left of ear.)
Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries.
Latinarteria temporalis superficialis
subject #144 559
Suppliestemple, scalp
SourceExternal carotid artery
BranchesTransverse facial artery
Middle temporal artery
Anterior auricular branch
frontal branch
parietal branch
Veinsuperficial temporal vein
Dorlands/Elsevier a_61/12156279
“Superficial temporal” redirects here. For the vein, see Superficial temporal vein.
In human anatomy, the superficial temporal artery is a major artery of the head. It arises from the external carotid artery when it bifurcates into the superficial temporal artery and maxillary artery.

Its pulse is palpable superior to the zygomatic arch, anterior and superior to the tragus.

Course

The superficial temporal artery, the smaller of the two terminal branches of the external carotid, appears, from its direction, to be the continuation of that vessel.

It begins in the substance of the parotid gland, behind the neck of the mandible, and crosses over the posterior root of the zygomatic process of the temporal bone; about 5 cm. above this process it divides into two branches, a frontal and a parietal.

Relations

As it crosses the zygomatic process, it is covered by the Auricularis anterior muscle, and by a dense fascia; it is crossed by the temporal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve and one or two veins, and is accompanied by the auriculotemporal nerve, which lies immediately behind it.

Clinical relevance

The superficial temporal artery is often affected in temporal arteritis and biopsied if the diagnosis is suspected.

Additional images


The arteries of the face and scalp.

Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery.

Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery.

Bloodvessels of the eyelids, front view.


External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

 •  • [ e]
Arteries of head and neck
CC, EC: Anteriorsuperior thyroid (superior laryngeal) - lingual (sublingual)
facial: cervical branches (ascending palatine - tonsillar - submental - glandular) - facial branches (inferior labial - superior labial - lateral nasal - angular)
EC: Posterior and ascendingoccipital - posterior auricular (stylomastoid) - ascending pharyngeal (meningeal branches)
EC: Terminal, superficial temporaltransverse facial - middle temporal (zygomaticorbital) - anterior auricular - frontal - parietal
EC: Terminal, maxillary1st part: anterior tympanic - deep auricular - middle meningeal (superior tympanic) - accessory meningeal - inferior alveolar (mylohyoid)
2nd part: deep temporal - pterygoid branches - masseteric - buccal
3rd part: posterior superior alveolar - infraorbital (anterior superior alveolar) - descending palatine - artery of the pterygoid canal - sphenopalatine
CC, IC: portions #1 and 2cervical portion - petrous portion (Vidian, caroticotympanic)
IC: cavernous portion/ophthalmicorbital group: lacrimal - supraorbital - posterior ethmoidal - anterior ethmoidal - medial palpebral - supratrochlear - dorsal nasal
ocular group: central retinal - ciliary (short posterior, long posterior, anterior) - superior hypophysial - inferior hypophyseal
IC: cerebral portionACA - anterior communicating - MCA (anterolateral central) - posterior communicating - anterior choroidal - circle of Willis
SUBCLAVIAN: vertebralmeningeal branches - posterior spinal - anterior spinal - PICA - basilar (pontine - labyrinthine - AICA - SCA - PCA)
SUBCLAVIAN: thyrocervicalinferior thyroid (inferior laryngeal, tracheal, esophageal, ascending cervical) - suprascapular - transverse cervical - dorsal scapular
Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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Temple indicates the side of the head behind the eyes. The bone beneath is the temporal bone.

Anatomy

Cladists classify land vertebrates based on the presence of an upper hole, a lower hole, both, or neither in the cover of dermal bone which formerly covered the
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''For other uses of the word, see Scalp (disambiguation)
The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly.
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In human anatomy, the external carotid artery is a major artery of the head and neck. It arises from the common carotid artery when it bifurcates into an internal and external branch.
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The transverse facial artery is an artery that branches from the superficial temporal artery and runs across the face.

Course

The transverse facial artery is given off from the superficial temporal artery before that vessel leaves the parotid gland; running forward
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The middle temporal artery arises immediately above the zygomatic arch, and, perforating the temporal fascia, gives branches to the Temporalis, anastomosing with the deep temporal branches of the internal maxillary.
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The anterior auricular branches of the superficial temporal artery are distributed to the anterior portion of the auricula, the lobule, and part of the external meatus, anastomosing with the posterior auricular.
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The frontal branch of superficial temporal artery (anterior temporal) runs tortuously upward and forward to the forehead, supplying the muscles, integument, and pericranium in this region, and anastomosing with the supraorbital and frontal arteries.
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The parietal branch of superficial temporal artery (posterior temporal), larger than the frontal, curves upward and backward on the side of the head, lying superficial to the temporal fascia, and anastomosing with its fellow of the opposite side, and with the posterior
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The superficial temporal vein is a vein of the side of the head.

Path

It begins on the side and vertex of the skull in a plexus which communicates with the frontal vein and supraorbital vein, with the corresponding vein of the opposite side, and with the posterior
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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The superficial temporal vein is a vein of the side of the head.

Path

It begins on the side and vertex of the skull in a plexus which communicates with the frontal vein and supraorbital vein, with the corresponding vein of the opposite side, and with the posterior
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Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body.[1] It is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy.[1]
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Arteries are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.[1] All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood.

The circulatory system is extremely important for sustaining life.
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head of an animal is the rostral part (from anatomical position) that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth (all of which aid in various sensory functions, such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste).
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In human anatomy, the external carotid artery is a major artery of the head and neck. It arises from the common carotid artery when it bifurcates into an internal and external branch.
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The maxillary artery (or internal maxillary artery in older texts) is an artery that supplies deep structures of the face.

Structure



The maxillary artery, the larger of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery, arises behind the neck of the
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In medicine, a person's pulse is the throbbing of their arteries as an effect of the heart beat. It can be felt at the neck (carotid artery), at the wrist (radial artery), behind the knee (Popliteal artery), on the inside of the elbow (Brachial artery), near the ankle joint
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Palpation is used as part of a physical examination in which an object is felt (usually with the hands of a healthcare practitioner) to determine its size, shape, firmness, or location.
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The zygomatic arch is formed by the zygomatic process of temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the skull, over the opening of the ear) and the temporal process of the zygomatic (the side of the cheekbone), the two being united by an oblique suture; the tendon of
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tragus, so called from its being generally covered on its under surface with a tuft of hair, resembling a goat’s beard, "goat" being the origin of the word, from the Greek tragos.
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In human anatomy, the external carotid artery is a major artery of the head and neck. It arises from the common carotid artery when it bifurcates into an internal and external branch.
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For the toad wart, see parotoid gland.

The parotid gland is the largest of the salivary glands. It is found wrapped around the mandibular ramus, and it secretes saliva through Stensen's duct into the oral cavity, to facilitate mastication and swallowing.
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mandible (from Latin mandibūla, "jawbone") or inferior maxillary bone is, together with the maxilla, the largest and strongest bone of the face . It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place.
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The zygomatic process of the temporal bone is a long, arched process projecting from the lower part of the squamous portion of the temporal bone. It articulates with the zygomatic bone.
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The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull.

The temporal bone supports that part of the face known as the temple.

Parts

Each consists of five parts:
  • Squama temporalis
  • Mastoid portion
  • Petrous portion
  • Tympanic part

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The frontal branch of superficial temporal artery (anterior temporal) runs tortuously upward and forward to the forehead, supplying the muscles, integument, and pericranium in this region, and anastomosing with the supraorbital and frontal arteries.
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The parietal branch of superficial temporal artery (posterior temporal), larger than the frontal, curves upward and backward on the side of the head, lying superficial to the temporal fascia, and anastomosing with its fellow of the opposite side, and with the posterior
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The Auriculares muscles are the three muscles surrounding the auricula or outer ear.
  • The Auricularis anterior (Attrahens aurem), the smallest of the three, is thin and fan-shaped, and its fibers are pale and indistinct.

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The facial nerve is the seventh (VII) of twelve paired cranial nerves. It emerges from the brainstem between the pons and the medulla, and controls the muscles of facial expression, and taste to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.
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