science

Maxillary artery

Maxillary artery is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Maxillary artery rather than just read about it. In short: The maxillary artery (eg, internal maxillary artery) supplies deep structures of the face. It branches from the external carotid artery just deep to the neck of the mandible.

Key takeaways

Maxillary artery belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Maxillary artery to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Maxillary artery from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The maxillary artery (eg, internal maxillary artery) supplies deep structures of the face. It branches from the external carotid artery just deep to the neck of the mandible.

Structure The maxillary artery, the larger of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery, arises behind the neck of the mandible, and is at first imbedded in the substance of the parotid gland; it passes forward between the ramus of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament, and then runs, either superficial or deep to the lateral pterygoid muscle, to the pterygopalatine fossa. It supplies the deep structures of the face, and may be divided into mandibular, pterygoid, and pterygopalatine portions.

First portion The first or mandibular or bony portion passes horizontally forward, between the neck of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament, where it lies parallel to and a little below the auriculotemporal nerve; it crosses the inferior alveolar nerve, and runs along the lower border of the lateral pterygoid muscle. Branches include:

Deep auricular artery Anterior tympanic artery Middle meningeal artery Inferior alveolar artery which gives off its mylohyoid branch just prior to entering the mandibular foramen Accessory meningeal artery

Second portion The second or pterygoid or muscular portion runs obliquely forward and upward under cover of the ramus of the mandible and insertion of the temporalis, on the superficial (very frequently on the deep) surface of the lateral pterygoid muscle; it then passes between the two heads of origin of this muscle and enters the fossa. Branches include:

Masseteric artery Pterygoid branches Deep temporal arteries (anterior and posterior) Buccal artery

Third portion The third or pterygopalatine or pterygomaxillary portion lies in the pterygopalatine fossa in relation with the pterygopalatine ganglion. This is considered the terminal branch of the maxillary artery. Branches include:

Sphenopalatine artery (nasopalatine artery) is the terminal branch of the Maxillary artery Descending palatine artery (Greater palatine artery and lesser palatine artery) Infraorbital artery Posterior superior alveolar artery Artery of pterygoid canal Pharyngeal branch, directed to palatovaginal canal Middle superior alveolar artery (a branch of the infraorbital artery) Anterior superior alveolar arteries (a branch of the infraorbital artery)

Nomenclature Formerly, the term "external maxillary artery" was used to describe what is now known as the facial artery (per Terminologia anatomica.) Currently, the term "external maxillary artery" is less commonly used, and the terms "internal maxillary artery" and "maxillary artery" are equivalent.

Additional images

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 559 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links lesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (parotid4) Anatomy photo:27:12-0101 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Infratemporal Fossa: Branches of the Maxillary Artery" Overview at tufts.edu

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Maxillary artery

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Maxillary artery claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Maxillary artery before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Maxillary artery ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Maxillary artery

In research: Maxillary artery appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Maxillary artery in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Maxillary artery is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arteries of the head and neck, Otorhinolaryngology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Maxillary artery outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Maxillary artery in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Maxillary artery means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Maxillary artery out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Maxillary artery in simple terms?

The maxillary artery (eg, internal maxillary artery) supplies deep structures of the face. It branches from the external carotid artery just deep to the neck of the mandible.

Why does Maxillary artery matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Maxillary artery?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Maxillary artery.