descending palatine artery

de·scend·ing pal·a·tine ar·ter·y

[TA]

origin, third part of maxillary; distribution, passes through palatine canal terminating by dividing into greater and lesser palatine arteries, supplies soft palate, gums, and bones and mucous membrane of hard palate, anterior oropharynx; anastomoses, sphenopalatine, ascending palatine, ascending pharyngeal, and tonsillar branches of facial.

Synonym(s): arteria palatina descendens [TA]

de·scend·ing pal·a·tine ar·te·ry

(dĕ-send'ing pal'ă-tīn ahr'tĕr-ē) [TA]

Origin, maxillary; distribution, soft palate, gums, and bones and mucous membrane of hard palate; anastomoses, sphenopalatine, ascending palatine, ascending pharyngeal, and tonsillar branches of facial.
Synonym(s): arteria palatina descendens.

descending palatine artery

A branch of the maxillary artery; it runs downward in the greater palatine canal. Its branches include the lesser and the greater palatine arteries.

See also: artery