Middle Brain Artery

The middle cerebral artery (a. cerebri media) is a large artery that passes through the middle part of the brain and supplies blood to its hemispheres. It is a branch of the internal carotid artery (a. carotis interna) and leaves it at the level of the base of the brain.

The middle cerebral artery has two main branches: the anterior cerebral artery (a. cerebralis anterior) and the posterior cerebral artery (a. cerebralis posterior). The anterior cerebral artery runs along the anterior surface of the cerebral hemispheres and supplies blood to the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. The posterior cerebral artery also runs along the posterior surface of the hemispheres and supplies blood to the occipital, occipito-parietal and cerebellar lobes.

An important property of the middle cerebral artery is its flexibility and ability to change its diameter depending on the needs of the brain. This property allows it to adapt to various conditions of blood supply to the brain, such as physical activity, mental stress or sleep.

In general, the middle cerebral artery plays an important role in ensuring the normal functioning of the brain and is one of the main arteries that provide blood supply to this organ.