Lateral view of left face and neck areas. For orientation, superior is toward the top of the image, anterior is toward the left border. The masseter muscle attaches to the zygoma and zygomatic arch and to the ramus and angle of the mandible. The temporalis muscle is seen superior to the zygomatic arch. Ascending in front of the root of the zygomatic process and external acoustic meatus is the superficial temporal artery, the smaller terminal branch of the external carotid artery. The facial artery (branch of external carotid) passes deep to the posterior digastric and submandibular gland (removed) before emerging onto the face near the anterior border attachment of the masseter to the mandible. The posterior auricular nerve (branch of facial nerve) crosses superficial to the posterior digastric muscle while the terminal branches of facial overlay the posterior border of the mandibular ramus (parotid gland has been removed). The mylohyoid muscle forms the floor of the mouth. In the neck, the sternocleidomastoid muscle has been reflected to show the internal jugular vein and medial to it, the common carotid artery. The greater horn of the hyoid bone is the site of attachment of several infrahyoid or "strap" muscles. Superficially, the sternohyoid and superior belly of omohyoid, and slightly deeper, the thyrohyoid muscle. The superior thyroid artery, usually the first branch of the external carotid, can be seen descending toward the thyroid gland, which is covered by the infrahyoid musculature. (Image courtesy of AL Rhoton, Jr.)