Week 3: Skull embryology Flashcards
How many bones make up the neurocranium? How many bones make up the viscerocranium?
neurocranium = 8 bones viscerocranium = 14 bones
What’re the bones of the neurocranium?
- frontal 2. occipital 3. parietal (x2) 4. temporal (x2, including petromastoid bit) 5. sphenoid 6. ethmoid total = 8 bones of neurocranium
What’re the bones of the viscerocranium?
2x nasal 2x lacrimal 2x inferior nasal concha 2x maxilla 2x zygomatic 2x palatine 1x vomer 1x mandible total = 14 bones of viscerocranium (note: squamous part of temporal bone is part of viscerocranium, but not one of the 14 as temporal bone is neurocranial).
What is the general function of the neurocranium?
To encase the brain and supporting structures for eyes/ ears
The neurocranium is formed by 2 methods - what are they?
- Endochondral ossification (chondrocranium) 2. Intramembranous ossification (calvaria)
What is the ‘chondrocranium’?
the primary skull of vertebrates; composed of cartilage and replaced by bone (through process of endochondral ossification).
What is the ‘calvaria’?
the top of the skull.
What is the ‘basicranium’?
The cranial base or floor of the skull; underlies the brain.
By what method is the basicranium formed?
via endochondral ossification
By what method is the calvaria formed?
via intramembranous ossification
The calvaria (top of the skull) is also known as what?
the membranous neurocranium (as it forms via intramembranous ossification)
The formation of the neurocranium relies on signals coming from where?
The underlying developing neural tissue.
What individual bones make up the basicranium (4)?
-ethmoid -sphenoid -petrous and mastoid parts of temporal bone -basiocciput of occipital bone
The basicranial bones have cartilage models made of them. These are formed from what?
neural crest cells + mesoderm
The basicranial bones develop from 3 pairs of midline cartilages - what are these called? List them from anterior to posterior.
- prechordal (first midline pair) 2. hypophyseal (second midline pair) 3. parachordal (third midline pair)
The basicranial bones form 3 lateral sensory capsules, what are these called?
- olfactory sensory capsule 2. optic sensory capsule 3. otic sensory capsule
Basicranial bones develop from 3 pairs of midline cartilages. Consider the first midline pair. What does/ is it… a.) AKA? b.) fuse with? c.) form?
a.) prechordal b.) fuses with olfactory capsule c.) forms ethmoid + internal nose structures
Basicranial bones develop from 3 pairs of midline cartilages. Consider the second midline pair. What does/ is it… a.) AKA? b.) fuse with? c.) form?
a.) hypophyseal b.) fuses with optic capsule c.) forms wings + body of sphenoid (encases eye)
Basicranial bones develop from 3 pairs of midline cartilages. Consider the third midline pair. What does/ is it… a.) AKA? b.) fuse with? c.) form?
a.) parachordal b.) fuses with otic capsule c.) forms basiocciput and petrous + mastoid parts of temporal bone (around inner ear)
What bones make up the calvaria?
-frontal -parietal -squamous part of occipital
What is the calvaria formed from?
the calvaria is formed directly from neural crest cells.
What forms between the bones of the calvaria during development?
Large, fibrous soft tissue sutures called fontanelles
Intramembranous ossification of the neurocranium means making bone from what?
making bone directly from mesenchymal stem cells (neural crest cells).
Endochondral ossification of the neurocranium means making bone from what?
A cartilage model which is replaced over time by bone. The cartilage model itself is made from neural crest cells + mesoderm. The emphasis with these questions is that for intramembranous ossification, bone is made directly from neural crest cells. Whereas with endochondral ossification, neural crest cells + mesodermal tissue must be used to first create a cartilage model (which will later be ossified).
The otic capsule is for developing the ability to do what?
hear sound
The bones of the viscerocranium form within what?
Pharyngeal arches.
How many pharyngeal arches are there?
5 total, 1-4 + 6 (as 5 is transitory; disappears)
What do pharyngeal arches 1+2 form? (general answer)
structures of the face
What does pharyngeal arch 3 form? (general answer)
face/ neck
What do pharyngeal arch 4 and 6 form? (general answer)
neck structures
Neural crest cells form all the cartilage and bone within which arches?
1-3
By which ossification method does the viscerocranium develop?
BOTH endochondral and intramembranous ossification.
What bones of the viscerocranium develop by endochondral ossification?
-small important bones -malleous, incus and stapes (from cartilage of arches 1+2) -styloid process of temporal bone (from cartilage in arch 1)
What bones of the viscerocranium develop by intramembranous ossification?
-all viscerocranial bones except ossicles and styloid process of temporal bone -all formed from arch 1 neural crest cells
What bones make up the ossicles?
malleous, incus and stapes
The styloid process of temporal bone is part of (neuro/ viscerocranium).
viscerocranium
The squamous part of temporal bone is part of (neuro/ viscerocranium).
viscerocranium
The petrous + mastoid part of temporal bone is part of (neuro/ viscerocranium).
neurocranium