The ciliary arteries are divisible into three groups, the long posterior, short posterior, and the anterior. * The short posterior ciliary arteries from six to twelve in number, arise from the

ophthalmic artery The ophthalmic artery (OA) is an artery of the head. It is the first branch of the internal carotid artery distal to the cavernous sinus. Branches of the ophthalmic artery supply all the structures in the orbit around the eye, as well as some ...

as it crosses the

optic nerve In neuroanatomy, the optic nerve, also known as the second cranial nerve, cranial nerve II, or simply CN II, is a paired cranial nerve that transmits visual system, visual information from the retina to the brain. In humans, the optic nerve i ...

. * The long posterior ciliary arteries, two for each eye, pierce the posterior part of the sclera at some little distance from the optic nerve. * The

anterior ciliary arteries The anterior ciliary arteries are seven arteries in each eye-socket that arise from muscular branches of the ophthalmic artery and supply the conjunctiva, sclera, rectus muscles, and the ciliary body. The arteries end by anastomosing with branc ...

are derived from the muscular branches of the ophthalmic artery.

Additional images

File:Gray514.png, The ophthalmic artery and its branches File:Gray878.png, Iris, front view. File:Gray880.png, The terminal portion of the optic nerve and its entrance into the eyeball, in horizontal section.

References

Arteries of the head and neck {{Portal bar, Anatomy