Deep lingual artery

The deep lingual artery (or ranine artery) is the terminal portion of the lingual artery after the sublingual artery is given off.

As seen in the picture, it travels superiorly in a tortuous course along the under (ventral) surface of the tongue, below the Longitudinalis inferior, and above the mucous membrane.

It lies on the lateral side of the Genioglossus, the main large extrinsic tongue muscle, accompanied by the lingual nerve. However, as seen in the picture, the deep lingual artery passes inferior to the hyoglossus (the cut muscle on the bottom) while the lingual nerve (not pictured) passes superior to it (for a comparison, the hypoglossal nerve, pictured, passes superior to the hyoglossus).

At the tip of the tongue, it is said to anastomose with the artery of the opposite side, but this is denied by Hyrtl.

In the mouth, these vessels are placed one on either side of the frenulum linguæ.