Occipital artery is the smallest of the terminal branches of the common carotid artery. It passes upwards beneath the wing of atlas and during its course it gives off-
Muscular branches to the ventral straight muscles of the head.
Branches to the pharynx
Palatine branches to the soft palate. It is then continued as the condyloid artery.
The condyloid artery passes into the cranium through the anterior foramen in the condyloid fossa and joins the vertebral artery in the formation of rete mirabile cerebri.
Before entering the cranium it gives off a branch to the pharyngeal lymph glands and the middle meningeal artery.
The latter passes through the foramen lacerum. Another branch enters the temporal canal and gives twigs to the temporalis muscle and the mucous membrane of the frontal sinus.
A diploic branch goes into the occipital condyle and emits twigs to the occipital muscles.
