Carotid canal

Carotid canal
Left temporal bone. Inferior surface. ("Opening of carotid canal" labeled at center left.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	canalis caroticus
TA98	A02.1.06.013
TA2	651
FMA	55805
Anatomical terms of bone

On the interior surface of the temporal bone, behind the rough surface of the apex, is the large circular aperture of the carotid canal, which ascends at first vertically, and then, making a bend, runs horizontally forward and medialward.

Contents

It transmits into the cranium the internal carotid artery, and the carotid plexus of nerves.

Sympathetics to the head also pass through the carotid canal. They have several motor functions: raise the eyelid (superior tarsal muscle), dilate pupil, innervate sweat glands of face and scalp and constricts blood vessels in head.

Additional images

• 
  Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities.
• 
  Coronal section of right temporal bone.

External links

• Atlas image: n3a8p1 at the University of Michigan Health System
• Template:RocheLexicon
• Photo at Winona.edu

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 143 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)