Ch 6 Axial Skeleton Flashcards
What are the two sections of the adult skeleton pictured below?

White section - AXIAL SKELETON
Yellow section - APPENDICULAR SKELETON
How many bones are in the cranial region? The facial region?
Cranial - 8
Facial - 14
What are the names of the bones featured in the frontal view of the skull below?


What are the names of the cranial bones?
- Frontal bone
- Parietal bone (2)
- Temporal bone (2)
- Occipital bone
- Ethmoid bone
- Sphenoid bone
What are the names of the bones featured in the lateral image of the skull attached?


What are the names of the bones in the posterior view of the skull attahed?


What are the names of the bones in the inferior view of the skull attached?


What is a foramen?
a hole
-like the one in the inferior view of the skull where the spinal cord enters
What is a Condyle?
Articulation point between two bones
What is a process?
Any protrusion coming from bone
What are the names of the bones in the median view of the skull attached?


What is another name for the Ethmoid bone? What is this bone shaped like and why?
Cribiform bone
Many holes in it like a sieve to allow olfactory nerves through
What is the small depression in the center of the Sphenoid bone called? What is its significance?
Sella Tursica
Pituitary gland sits in it and is protected
What are the names of the bones in the floor view of the skull attached?


What are the names of the suture bones and how many are there of each type?

Coronal (1)
Sagittal (1)
Lamboidal (2)
Squamosal (2)

What are the names of the Fontanels and how many are there of each type?

Anterior (frontal) (1)
Posterior (occipital) (1)
Anteriorolateral (sphenoidal) (2)
Posterolateral (mastoidal) (2)

What is significant about the hyoid bone?
Only bone in the body that doesn’t articulate with any other bone
- anchor for swallowing muscles to attach to
- right above the larynx
Name the parts of the typical vertebra pictured.


What are processes for?
Attachment point for muscles
What part of the vertebra articulates with ribs?
Costal facet
What forms the vertebral foramina?
Each vertebral foramen stacks on the other to form the spinal column
What is the intervertebral foramina and how is it formed?
Each vertebral notch, superior and inferior, stacks to form a intervertebral notch
This allows nerves from the spinal chord to run out and into the peripheral nervous system
How many vertebrae are there? How many of each type?
There are 26 vertebrae
- 7 cervical
- 12 thoracic
- 5 lumbar
- 1 sacrum, 4-5 fused
- 1 coccyx, 3-4 fused

What differentiates the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae?
Cervical Vertebra
-Only with transverse foramina for vertebral artery
Thoracic Vertebra
-Costal facets
Lumbar Vertebra
- Much more robust to bear more weight
- Less mobility
Where are intervertebral discs located? What is their funtion? What are the components of an intervertebral disc?
Located in between vertebrae
Functions like a jelly donut to resist compression and absorb shock
Composed of:
- Anulus Fibrosus: made of fibrocartilage (dense connective tissue +hyaline cartilage) allows movement w/o separation
- Nucleus Pulposus: made of cartilage to retain water
What is the difference between a bulging disc and a herniated disc?
Bulging disc is from so much compression that the anulus+nucleus begins squeezing out
Whereas a herniated disc is where the disc fluid begins leaking out
What parts of the vertebrae have a primary curve or secondary curve? What function does the curvature of the vertebrae serve?
Primary curve
- thoracic
- sacral
Secondary curve
- cervical
- lumbar
The curvature acts as a spring to dissipate forces to the muscles attached
-distributes weight
What are the components of the thoracic cage pictured?


What part of the vertebrae is part of the thoracic cage?
The vertebrae has costal facets for ribs
What are the functions of the thoracic cage?
Protection of organs
Expansion to allow breathing
How many ribs are there? What are the types of ribs and what is their distribution?
12 Ribs total
True Ribs 1-7
False Ribs 8-12
Floating Ribs 11-12
Where are the attachment points for ribs?
Vertebral attachment points are the costal facets
Sternal attachment points are the costal cartilage