The skull

Question 1

What is the skull?

Answer 1

The skull is a strong, bony capsule that rests on the neck and encloses the brain

Question 2

Name the 2 major parts that the skull consists of.

Answer 2

the neurocranium (cranial vault) and the viscerocranium (facial skeleton).

Question 3

What is the neurocranium part of the skull?

Answer 3

The neurocranium is the part enveloping the brain and is formed out of two parts; the skull base that supports the brain and the calvaria (skullcap) that sits on top of the base, covering the brain.

Question 4

What does the viscerocranium support?

Answer 4

The viscerocranium supports mainly the facial muscles and a variety of anatomical structures.

Question 5

List the bones of the skull

Answer 5

Ethmoid bone
Frontal bone
Inferior nasal concha (e)
Lacrimal bone (s)
Mandible
Maxillary bone (s)
Nasal bone (s)
Occipital bone
Palatine bones (s)
Parietal bone (s)
Sphenoid bone
Temporal bone (s)
Vomer
Zygomatic bone (s)

Question 6

How can the skull become an enclosed and resilient structure?

Answer 6

To make the skull an enclosed and resilient structure, those bones are connected together via joints called sutures

Question 7

How are sutures named?

Answer 7

Sutures are named according to the bones that form the suture

Question 8

Name the most important sutures and the landmarks.

Answer 8

The most important ones are the coronal, sagittal, squamous, lambdoid, and palatine sutures, together with the lambda, bregma, and pterion landmarks.