The deep auricular artery often arises in common with the

anterior tympanic artery The anterior tympanic artery (glaserian artery) is a small artery in the head that supplies the middle ear. It usually arises as a branch of the first part of the maxillary artery. It passes upward behind the temporomandibular articulation, enters ...

. It ascends in the substance of the

parotid gland The parotid gland is a major salivary gland in many animals. In humans, the two parotid glands are present on either side of the mouth and in front of both ears. They are the largest of the salivary glands. Each parotid is wrapped around the ma ...

, behind the temporomandibular articulation, pierces the cartilaginous or bony wall of the

external acoustic meatus The ear canal (external acoustic meatus, external auditory meatus, EAM) is a pathway running from the outer ear to the middle ear. The adult human ear canal extends from the pinna to the eardrum and is about in length and in diameter. Struct ...

, and supplies its cuticular lining and the outer surface of the

tympanic membrane In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit sound from the a ...

. It gives a branch to the

temporomandibular joint In anatomy, the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are the two joints connecting the jawbone to the skull. It is a bilateral synovial articulation between the temporal bone of the skull above and the mandible below; it is from these bones that it ...

References

External links

* () Arteries of the head and neck {{circulatory-stub