Descending palatine artery

It descends through the greater palatine canal with the greater and lesser palatine branches of the pterygopalatine ganglion, and, emerging from the greater palatine foramen, runs forward in a groove on the medial side of the alveolar border of the hard palate to the incisive canal; the terminal branch of the artery passes upward through this canal to anastomose with the sphenopalatine artery.

Branches are distributed to the gums, the palatine glands, and the mucous membrane of the roof of the mouth; while in the pterygopalatine canal it gives off twigs which descend in the lesser palatine canals to supply the soft palate and palatine tonsil, anastomosing with the ascending palatine artery.

According to Terminologia Anatomica, the descending palatine artery branches into the greater palatine artery and lesser palatine arteries.

• Ascending palatine artery

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  Base of skull. Inferior surface.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 562 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

• lesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (infratempfossaart)
• lesson9 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (nasalseptumart)