Common carotid artery At approximately the level of the fourth cervical vertebra, the common carotid artery splits ("bifurcates" in literature) into an internal carotid artery (ICA) and an external carotid artery (ECA). While both branches travel upward, the internal carotid takes a deeper (more internal) path, eventually travelling up into the skull to supply the brain. The external carotid artery travels more closely to the surface, and sends off numerous branches that supply the neck and face. At the lower part of the neck the common carotid artery is very deeply seated, being covered by the integument, superficial fascia, the platysma muscle, deep
Long posterior ciliary arteries pupillary margin, where they form a second (incomplete) arterial circle, the circulus arteriosus minor. The long posterior ciliary arteries supply the iris, ciliary body and choroid. Long posterior ciliary arteries The long posterior ciliary arteries are arteries of the head arising, together with the other ciliary arteries, from the ophthalmic artery. There are two in each eye. They pierce the posterior part of the sclera at some little distance from the optic nerve, and run forward, along either side of the eyeball, between the sclera and choroid, to the ciliary muscle, where they divide into two branches. These form an