Skull Flashcards
Occipital Bone
back of the head; inferior to parietal bone
Frontal bone
anterior dome of head
Parietal Bone
posterior dome of head
Temporal bone
lateral regions of cranial base
Zygomatic bone
cheekbones; form part of lateral wall of each orbit and cheeks
Sphenoid bone
butterfly shaped bone that forms the centerpiece base of cranium
Orbit
eye socket
Ethmoid bone
wall between anterior floor of cranial cavity and roof of nasal cavity
Maxillary bone
form the central part of facial skeleton
Mandible
lower jaw
Lacrimal bone
small paired bones that form part of medial wall of each orbit
Nasal bone
facial bone; left and right sides form “bony” bridge of nose
Hyoid bone
slender, curved bone located inferor to skull between mandible and larynx
Vomer bone
unpaired facial bone, runs vertically along midline of nasal cavity
Palatine bone
small bone w/ distinct L-shape that makes up hard palate, nasal cavity, and eye orbit
Lambdoidal suture
extends like an arc across the posterior surface of skull
Foramen magnum
foramen of the occipital bone; opening where spinal cord enters
Occipital condyles
two large protuberances on undersurface of occipital bone; located beside front half of foramen magnum
Hypoglossal canal
anteromedial edge of each occipital condyle
External occipital protuberance
bump on the back of the head
Groove for transverse sinus
run laterally in a groove along the interior surface of occipital bone
Sagittal suture
connects the left and right parietal bones almost exactly in the midline of skull
Coronal suture
runs a coronal plane that articulates between frontal and parietal bones
Supraorbital foramen
midpoint of each supraorbital margin of orbit in frontal bone
Glabella
superior to nasal bones and between the orbits;
“unibrow”
Internal auditory (acoustic) meatus
canal within petrous part of temporal bone of skull between posterior cranial fossa and inner ear
External auditory (acoustic) meatus
tubular passage within auricular
Squamosal suture
articulates the temporal and parietal bone
Petrous portion
pyramid shaped and wedged at base of skull between sphenoid and occipital bone
Squamous portion
lateral flat surface of temporal bone immediately inferior to squamous suture
Groove for sigmoid sinus
groove in posterior cranial fossa
Mandibular fossa (glenoid)
depression in temporal bone that articulates with the mandible
Temporal bone (3) processes:
1) zygomatic
2) styloid
3) mastoid
1) articulates w/ zygomatic bone to form zygomatic arch
2) attachment site for hyloid bone ligaments and muscles
3) cone shaped bone projection at base of skull posterior and inferior to ear
Temporal bone has 3 canals
1) Jugular foramen
2) Carotid canal
3) Stylomastoid foramen
1) between temporal and occipital bone (posterior to carotid canal)
2) petrous part of temporal bone
3) between mastoid and styloid processes of temporal bone
Temporal process
long, arched process projecting from the lower part of squamous portion of temporal bone
Superior orbital fissure
posterior part of orbit between greater and lesser wings of sphenoid bone
Sella turcica - hypophyseal fossa
bony enclosure around hypophyseal fossa; houses pituitary gland
Pterygloid process
vertical projections that begin at boundary between greater and lesser wings
Lesser wing of sphenoid
form part of anterior cranial fossa; contain optic canal
Greater wings of sphenoid
form part of middle cranial fossa and orbit
Foramen lacerum
foramen situated anteromedial to carotid canal
Foramen rotundum
circular hole in sphenoid bone that connects middle cranial fossa and pterygopalatine fossa
Foramen spinosum
just anterior to spine of the sphenoid bone and just lateral to foramen ovale
Foramen ovale
at the base of skull; posterior part of sphenoid bone; posterolateral to the foramen rotundum
Olfactory foramina
opening to crisiform plate of the ethmoid bone for passage of olfactory nerves
Crista galli
Upper part of perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone
Nasal conchae
scroll shaped bony elements forming the upper chambers of the nasal cavities
Perpendicular plate (part of nasal septum)
forms the superior portion of nasal septum
Cribiform plate
structure between anterior cranial fossa and nasal cavity
Interalveolar septum
bony ridges situated between dental alveoliin alveolar arches of upper and lower jaw bones
Incisive canal
a narrow branched passage that extends from floor of nasal cavity to incisive fossa
Palatine processes
either of a pair of horizontal plates of upper jawbones that form the front portion of roof of mouth
Infraorbital foramen
opening inferior to orbit in maxilla
Alveolar process
inferior portion of maxillae that house the teeth
Alveolar margin
extensions of mandible of maxima, either on roof of mouth between upper teeth and hard palate or bottom of mouth behind teeth
Mandibular angle
posterior border at junction of lower border of ramus of mandible
Mandibular notch
U-shaped depression between coronoid and condylar processes
Coronoid process
attachment of temporalis muscle
Body of mandible
anterior portion of mandible and is bound by two surfaces and two borders
Mandibular symphysis
the line of fusion of the lateral halves of the body of the mandible which splits inferiorly to form the mental protuberance
Mental foramen
inferior to second premolar on anterolateral surface of mandible
Mandibular condyle
head of mandible
Ramus
angular extension of a bone relative to rest of surface
Mandibular foramen
medial surface of ramus of mandible
Lacrimal duct
a duct located inside corners of upper and lower eyelids
Horizontal plate
plate of the palatine bone that is situated horizontally, joins the bone of the opposite side, and forms back part of hard palete
Palatine foramina
greater and lesser in which perforate horizontal plate
