During surgical removal of the tongue _____ part of the lingual artery is ligated before it gives any branches to tongue or tonsils:

Lingual Artery The lingual artery arises from the external carotid artery opposite the tip of the greater cornua of the hyoid bone. Its course is divided into four parts by the hyoglossus muscle. The first part lies in the carotid triangle. It forms a characteristic upward loop which is crossed by the hypoglossal nerve. The lingual loop permits free movements of the hyoid bone. The second part lies deep to the hyoglossus along the upper border of hyoid bone. It is superficial to the middle constrictor of the pharynx. The third part is called the arteria profunda linguae, or the deep lingual artery. It runs upwards along the anterior border of the hyoglossus, and then horizontally forwards on the undersurface of the tongue as the fourth part. In its vertical course, it lies between the genioglossus medially and the inferior longitudinal muscle of the tongue laterally. The horizontal part of the artery is accompanied by the lingual nerve. During surgical removal of the tongue, the first part of the artery is ligated before it gives any branch to the tongue or to the tonsil.