Course

It descends through the pterygopalatine canal

Pterygopalatine canal

Pterygopalatine canal can refer to:* Greater palatine canal* Palatovaginal canal...

 with the anterior palatine branch of the sphenopalatine ganglion, and, emerging from the greater palatine foramen

Greater palatine foramen

At either posterior angle of the hard palate is the greater palatine foramen, for the transmission of the descending palatine vessels and anterior palatine nerve; and running anteriorly and medially from it is a groove, for the same vessels and nerve.- Variations :The greater palatine foramen is...

, runs forward in a groove on the medial side of the alveolar border of the hard palate

Hard palate

The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth. It spans the arch formed by the upper teeth.It is formed by the palatine process of the maxilla and horizontal plate of palatine bone....

 to the incisive canal; the terminal branch of the artery passes upward through this canal to anastomose

Anastomosis

An anastomosis is the reconnection of two streams that previously branched out, such as blood vessels or leaf veins. The term is used in medicine, biology, mycology and geology....

 with the sphenopalatine artery

Sphenopalatine artery

The sphenopalatine artery is an artery of the head, commonly known as the artery of epistaxis.-Course:The sphenopalatine artery is a branch of the maxillary artery which passes through the sphenopalatine foramen into the cavity of the nose, at the back part of the superior meatus...

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Branches

Branches are distributed to the gums, the palatine glands

Palatine glands

The palatine glands form a continuous layer on the posterior surface of the mucous membrane of the soft palate and around the uvula.They are pure mucous glands....

, and the mucous membrane of the roof of the mouth; while in the pterygopalatine canal

Pterygopalatine canal

Pterygopalatine canal can refer to:* Greater palatine canal* Palatovaginal canal...

 it gives off twigs which descend in the lesser palatine canals

Lesser palatine canals

The lesser palatine canals are passages in the palatine bone that carry the lesser and middle palatine nerves and vessels.-Structure:...

 to supply the soft palate

Soft palate

The soft palate is the soft tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate at the front of the mouth in that it does not contain bone....

 and palatine tonsil, anastomosing with the ascending palatine artery

Ascending palatine artery

The ascending palatine artery is an artery in the head that branches off the facial artery and runs up the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.-Structure:...

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According to Terminologia Anatomica

Terminologia Anatomica

Terminologia Anatomica is the international standard on human anatomic terminology. It was developed by the Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology and the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists and was released in 1998. It supersedes the previous standard, Nomina...

, the descending palatine artery branches into the greater palatine artery

Greater palatine artery

The greater palatine artery is a terminal branch of the maxillary artery supplying blood to the hard palate and nasal septum.-Course:The descending palatine artery branches off of the maxillary artery in the pterygopalatine fossa and descends through the greater palatine canal along with the...

 and lesser palatine arteries

Lesser palatine arteries

The lesser palatine arteries go through the lesser palatine foramina, and supply the soft palate.It gives off tonsillary branches to the palatine tonsils....

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