Skull Flashcards
What are the three major regions of the axial skeleton?
Skull, vertebral column, and bony thorax.
How many bones are in the skull?
22 bones (cranial and facial bones).
What is the function of cranial bones?
They enclose and protect the brain and provide attachment sites for head and neck muscles.
What is the function of facial bones?
They form the framework of the face, contain cavities for sensory organs, provide openings for air and food, secure teeth, and anchor facial muscles.
What are sutures?
Interlocking joints between skull bones that have a saw-toothed appearance.
Name the four major sutures of the skull.
Coronal, sagittal, squamous, and lambdoid sutures.
What is the cranial vault?
The superior, lateral, and posterior aspects of the skull, including the forehead.
What are the three cranial fossae?
Anterior cranial fossa, middle cranial fossa, and posterior cranial fossa.
What are the main cavities of the skull?
Cranial cavity, ear cavities, nasal cavity, orbit cavities, and air-filled sinuses.
What is the function of the foramen magnum?
It allows the brain to connect to the spinal cord.
What bone forms the forehead and anterior cranium?
The frontal bone.
What are the parietal bones?
Two large, rectangular bones that form the bulk of the cranial vault.
What is the function of the occipital bone?
It forms most of the posterior wall and base of the skull and contains the foramen magnum.
What is the function of the temporal bone?
It forms the inferolateral aspects of the skull and houses the middle and inner ear cavities.
What is the mandibular fossa?
A depression in the temporal bone that articulates with the mandible to form the temporomandibular joint.
