The carotid arteries
Carotid arteries · arteriae carotides
The main arteries in your neck, carrying blood to your brain and face.
What it does
Each common carotid artery runs up the side of the neck and splits at about the level of the Adam's apple. The internal carotid enters the skull to supply most of the brain and the eyes; the external carotid supplies the face, scalp and throat.
Surprising fact
Where the carotid splits there is a small swelling packed with sensors that monitor blood pressure and blood oxygen and report to the brainstem.
Why it matters
The neck pulse is felt over the carotid. Fatty narrowing here can throw off clots that cause strokes, so a sudden one-sided weakness needs emergency care.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.