Cranium, Brain, Cranial Nerves Flashcards
The carnium is made up of ___ bones
22
2 main parts of cranium?
- Neurocranium- 8 bones
- cranial vault- holds brain, cranial meninges, cranial nerves and vaculature
- Viscerocranium- 15 bones
- facial skeleton: anterior part of cranium and consists of bones surrounding mouth, nose and orbits
What bones make up neurocranium?
- Frontal
- Ethmoid
- Sphenoid
- Occipital
- (2)Temporal
- (2)Parietal
What bones make up viserocranium?
- Mnadible
- Ethmoid ** *(in both neurocranium and viserocranium)
- Vomer
- (2) maxilla
- (2) inferior nasal concha (turbinates)
- (2) zygomatic
- (2) palatine
- (2) nasal
- (2) lacrimal
What are the 4 sutures of the cranium? When do they start to or fully close?
- Metopic suture (typically closes 3-9 months of age)
- Coronal suture- full fusion around age 24
- Sagittal suture- begins to close at age 29, completely closed by age 35
- Lamboid suture- full fusion may never occur but typically between ages 30-40
What forms the sella turcica?
- Tuberculum sellae (anteriorly)
- Hypophyseal fossa (medially)
- pituitary gland
- Dorsum sellae (posteriorly)
AKA “turkish saddle”
What is contained in anterior cranial fossa? What features are inside?
Frontal lobe of brain
- Cribiform foramina in ciribform plate
- axons of olfactory epithelium that form olfactory nerve (CNI)
What forms middle cranial foassa? What contents are located there?
Temporal bones (sphenoid, temporal and parietal bones)
Features:
- Optic canals-
- Superior orbital fissure
- Foramen rotundum
- Foramen ovale
- Foramen spinosum
- Foramen lacerum
- Carotid canal
What contents are in the optic canals?
optic nerves (CNII) and ophthalmic arteries
What contents are in superior orbital fissure?
- opthalmic veins
- opthalmic nerve (CN V1)
- oculomotor nerve (CNIII)
- trochlear nerve (CNIV)
- abducens (CNVI)
- sympathetic fibers
What contents are in foramen rotundum?
Maxillary nerve (CN V2)
What contents are in foramen ovale?
Mandibular nerve CN V3
What contents are in foramen spinosum?
Middle meningeal artery/vein
How to remember foramen rotundum, ovale and spinosum?
ROS is sitting in bottom of brain
What contents are in foramen lacerum?
- Nothing passes through but opening is traversed by internal carotid artery
What contents are in the carotid canal?
Internal carotid artery, sympathetic fibers
What contents form posterior cranial fossa? What is located inside the fossa?
Cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata
Inside:
- Foramen magnum
- Jugular foramen
- Hypoglossal canal
- Internal auditory meatus
What contents are in foramen magnum
- Spinal cord and meninges, vertebral arteries, dural veins, anterior and posterior spinal arteries
What contents are in jugular foramen?
- Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- Vagus nerve (CN X)
- Spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)
- Internal jugular vein
- inferior petrosal and sigmoid sinuses
What contents are ?in hypoglossal canal
Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
What contents are in internal auditory meatus?
- Facial (CN VII)
- Vestibulocochlear nerves (CN VIII)
What are the functions of the cranial meninges?
- Coverings of the brain that lie immeditaely internal to cranium
- Protect and enclose brain in fluid-filled cavity, the subarachnoid space
- FOrm the supporting framework for arteries, vines, and venous sinuses
*
What the layers/spaces in between and characteristics of each?
3 membranous connectiv tissue layers (with space in between)
- dura mater- tough, thick external fibrous layer
- subdural space- potential space
- arachnoid mater- thin, nonvascular, intermediate layer
- subarachnoid space- contains CSF
- pia mater- delicate internal vascular layer
What forms the dura mater?
- Two layered membrane that is adherent to internal surface of the cranium
- External periosteal layer- becomes part of bone
- Internal meningeal layer
- continuous at the foramen magnum with dura covering the spinal cord
- Reflects away the periosteal layer of dura to form dural infoldings (reflections)
- divide the cranial cavity into compartments and suppor parts of brain
- Four dural inforldings: falx cerebri, tentorium cerebelli, falx cerebelli and diaphragma sellae




