Skip to practical collection
MEDIVEERSETHE PRACTICAL HUB
Back to AnatomyBDS / Head & Neck · 156 / 171
ANATOMY / REFERENCE GALLERY1 / 3 references
head arteries: labelled anatomical figure. Original source colours and labels retained.
100%
1
Common carotid artery

Locate common carotid artery on this anatomical reference. Read the original plate labels to confirm the view and adjacent structures.

Zoom in, then drag to inspect. Keyboard: + / − to zoom, arrows to pan, 0 to reset. Tap the numbered markers to explore parts.

head arteries: labelled anatomical figure. Original source colours and labels retained.

Image: OpenStax / University of Hawaiʻi adapted teaching figures; original contributors credited at source · Source / original · CC BY 4.0 — figure credits at source

Numbered markers and focused views are Mediveerse learning overlays; the original reference is linked above.

Common carotid artery

Vessels & lymphatics

Common carotid artery

STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

Understand what you see.

Main arterial trunk that usually bifurcates near the upper border of thyroid cartilage.

Zoom into the original labels. Practise pointing out each structure, then explain it aloud. Diagrams are teaching references; specimen appearance and slide staining vary.

01 / IDENTIFICATION

How to recognise it.

  1. Identify its origin or drainage
  2. Trace its regional course
  3. Confirm its important neighbouring structures
02 / KEY STRUCTURES

Point them out.

Tap a number to open its reference, zoom in and locate the structure. Numbers stay the same across views. This key follows landmarks visible in the reference images.

Related features & study points (3)

Additional relations, attachments or microscopic details to revise alongside this plate. These are separate from its numbered image landmarks.

03 / VIVA PRACTICE

Think first. Then reveal.

Say your answer aloud before opening the suggested response.

Examiner-style prompts: identify the structure, explain its relations, then answer the applied follow-up. These are revision questions, not authenticated past papers.

01Identify common carotid artery and give its main role.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Identify its origin or drainage. Trace its regional course. Confirm its important neighbouring structures. Main arterial trunk that usually bifurcates near the upper border of thyroid cartilage.

02Does it normally branch within the neck?
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Usually no branches before bifurcation, although anatomical variants exist.

03Compare right and left origins.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Right arises from brachiocephalic trunk; left arises directly from the aortic arch.

04Point out three important relations and explain their significance.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Carotid sheath; Carotid bifurcation; External and internal carotids. Main arterial trunk that usually bifurcates near the upper border of thyroid cartilage. Use the reference plate to locate the region; the relationship map organises the associations and is not drawn to scale.

Read the references.

Credited anatomical plates, microscopy and university teaching references. Individual image credits appear below the viewer. Historical plates can use older terminology; use the lesson text for current names.