Bones of the Skull (Detailed) Flashcards
Parts of the skull
Divided into 2 parts;
-Viscerocranium (Splanchocranium)
-Neurocranium
Viscerocranium (Splanchnocranium)
-Refers to the bones that form the facial skeleton
-Made up of 14 irregular bones
-Can be seen in an anterior view of the skull
Neurocranium
Refers to the bones that house and protect the brain
Skull definition
Refers to the entire bony framework of the head including the mandible
Cranium definition
Refers to the skull without the mandible
Calvaria definition
Refers to the skull cap which consists of the upper part of the neurocranium or the superior portions of the frontal, parietal and occipital bones
Bones of the viscerocranium
-Nasal bone
-Maxillae bone
-Zygomatic bone
-Mandible
Bones of the neurocranium
-Frontal bone
-Parietal bone
-Temporal bone
-Sphenoid bone
-Ethmoid bone
-Occipital bone
Nasal bones
(Os nasale)
-Found at the centre of the face
-Two small paired bones
-These bones define the nose, and determine its shape and size
-Superior borders and main bodies form the bridge of the nose
-Inferior borders connect with the nasal cartilage to then form the superior margin of the nasal aperture
Maxillary bone (Upper jaw)
Maxilla
-Found upwards/laterally from the nasal bone
-A paired bone consisting of the right and left maxilla which fuse in the midline
-Involved in the formation of the bony orbit, nose and palate
-Holds the upper/maxillary teeth
-Plays an important role in communication
Key features of the maxilla
-Infraorbital foramen or foramina (a paired structure)
-Anterior nasal spine
-Has 4 projections; the zygomatic process, the alveolar process, the frontal process and the palatine process
Zygomatic process
Articulates with the zygomatic bone on either side of the face contributing to the formation of each orbit
Alveolar process
Forms half of what is known as the maxillary dental arch and holds the upper teeth
Frontal process
Articulates with the frontal bone and contributes towards the medial border of each orbit
Palatine process
-It is a horizontal extension found on the medial side of this bone, so can be seen from an inferior or medial view
-The Palatine process contributes to the roof/hard palate of the mouth as well as the floor of the nasal cavity.
Zygomatic bone
-Paired bone found on both sides of the face
-One of the most irregularly shaped bones in the skull
Mandible (lower jaw)
-The body is the largest part of this bone and possesses the mental foramina
Frontal bone
-Bone that defines your forehead
-One of the bones that encases the brain
-Consists of 3 parts; the squamous part, the orbital part, and the nasal part
Squamous part
Makes up the largest portion of the frontal bone encompasses the area of the forehead and houses the frontal sinuses
Orbital part
Essentially the part of the frontal bone that contributes to the bony orbit
Temporal bone
-Another paired bone
-Form the base of the cranial vault along with this bone right here, the occipital bone, and they also ascend to participate in the lateral walls of the skull.
Nasal part
The portion that articulates with the frontal processes of the maxilla and the nasal bones and this is the portion that helps form the root of the nose.
Parietal bone
-A paired bone found on both sides of the skull and it forms large parts of the top and sides of your head
-The parietal bones also connect with the temporal bones via the squamosal suture, and with the sphenoid bone via the sphenoparietal suture
Sphenoid bone (Wasp bone)
-Makes up most of the middle part of the base of the skull and contributes towards the floor of the middle cranial fossa
-Made up of two important parts- greater and lesser wings
