Final answer:
The carotid canal allows the internal carotid artery to enter the skull and supply the brain with oxygenated blood. The internal carotid artery is the structure that passes through the carotid canal, supplying the brain with oxygenated blood.
Step-by-step explanation:
The carotid canal is a passageway through which the internal carotid artery passes to enter the skull and supply the brain with fresh, oxygenated blood. The carotid canal is located on the inferior aspect of the skull, anteromedial to the styloid process, and runs anteromedially within the bony base of the skull. It opens into the middle cranial cavity near the posterior-lateral base of the sella turcica.
The internal carotid artery enters the cranium through the carotid canal in the temporal bone, and it is a major artery supplying the brain with fresh, oxygenated blood. It ascends above the foramen lacerum, into the middle cranial cavity and gives rise to several branches that supply various parts of the brain, including the anterior cerebral artery and the middle cerebral artery.