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. 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, the deep lingual artery passes inferior to the hyoglossus  while the lingual nerve passes superior to it (for a comparison, the hypoglossal nerve, passes superior to the hyoglossus).