Uterine Artery

**Semantic type:** Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component

**Definition:** An artery that arises most often as a branch of the anterior division of the internal iliac artery; it continues medially in the pelvis within the base of the broad ligament, to the exterior surface of the uterus where it branches into the descending, transverse, and ascending divisions, which further branch into the following: the helicine branches that supply the uterus; the vaginal branch, which anastomoses with the vaginal artery to supply vagina; the ovarian branch, which anastomoses with ovarian artery to supply the ovaries; and the tubal branch that supplies the fallopian tubes.

**Synonyms:** - UTERINE ARTERY