carotid artery
Throat's main vessel
The carotid arteries are the two major blood vessels running up either side of the neck, supplying blood to the brain, face, and head.
Because they're close to the surface and vital to brain function, they're vulnerable points—pressure on them can cause unconsciousness, and a cut to the carotid is rapidly fatal.
The medic checked for a pulse at the carotid artery.
- aortaChief arterial trunk
- neckHead-body junction
- vesselReceptacle for contents
- atherosclerosisArterial plaque accumulation disease
- ischemic strokeBrain damage from blocked artery
bifurcation · Doppler ultrasound · sternocleidomastoid · lifeline · go for the throat · pulse · vital signs · brain · aneurysm · stroke · flow · blockage · plaque buildup · stenosis · circulation · throb · oxygen · heartbeat
- Circulatory Systemheart rate, blood, veins, capillary, blood vessel
- Neckneck, throat, Adam's apple, larynx, trachea
- arteriesaorta, coronary, femoral, brachial, aortic arch
- blood vesselsvein, veins, capillaries, capillary, aorta
- circulationblood, circulation, veins, bloodstream, cardiac
- brain circulationblood-brain barrier, blood brain barrier, jugular vein, sinus drainage, cerebral aneurysm