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The tonsillar artery (or tonsillar branch of the facial artery) is (usually) a branch of the facial artery (though it sometimes arises from the ascending palatine artery instead) that represents the main source of arterial blood supply for the palatine tonsil.
The palatine tonsils are located in the isthmus of the fauces, between the palatoglossal arch and the palatopharyngeal arch of the soft palate.. The palatine tonsil is one of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues (MALT), located at the entrance to the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts to protect the body from the entry of exogenous material through mucosal sites.
Lingual tonsils are covered externally by stratified squamous epithelium (nonkeratinized) that invaginates inward forming tonsillar crypts. Beneath the epithelium is a layer of lymphoid nodules containing lymphocytes. Mucous glands located at the root of the tongue are drained through several ducts into the crypts of the lingual tonsils.
The lesser palatine arteries give off tonsillary branches to supply the palatine tonsils. [3] They also gives off mucosal branches that usually supply the soft palate, [2] [4] and potentially the hard palate. [5]
The tonsils are a set of lymphoid organs facing into the aerodigestive tract, which is known as Waldeyer's tonsillar ring and consists of the adenoid tonsil (or pharyngeal tonsil), two tubal tonsils, two palatine tonsils, and the lingual tonsils. These organs play an important role in the immune system.
The ascending palatine artery is an artery is a branch of the facial artery which ascends along the neck before splitting into two terminal branches; one branch supplies the soft palate, and the other supplies the palatine tonsil and pharyngotympanic tube.
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The tonsils also are lymphatic tissue and help mediate the ingestion of pathogens. Tonsils in humans include, from superior to inferior: nasopharyngeal tonsils (also known as adenoids), palatine tonsils, and lingual tonsils. Together this set of lymphatic tissue is called the tonsillar ring or Waldeyer's ring.