Professional Documents
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Part I ‐ Bones of the Head
General Considerations of Bones
Average adult skeleton has 206 bones
Bones are paired or unpaired
Most anatomical terms used to describe the features of bones are based on the relationship between the bones
and associated ligaments, muscles, joints, nerves, and blood vessels
o Processes
o Surfaces
o Holes
The skeleton is divided into the axial and appendicular skeletons
Axial Skeleton
The axial skeleton forms the upright axis of the
body
Consists of
o Skull
o Auditory ossicles
o Hyoid bone
o Vertebral column
o Thoracic cage (rib cage)
Protects the brain, the spinal cord, and the
vital organs housed within the thorax
Skull
Composed of 22 bones
The braincase protects the brain
o Paired parietal and temporal bones
o Unpaired frontal, occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones
The facial bones protect the sensory organs of the head and serve as muscle attachment sites
o The 14 facial bones are the
maxilla (2), zygomatic (2), palatine (2)
lacrimal (2), nasal (2), inferior nasal conchae (2)
mandible (1), vomer (1)
The mandible and maxillae hold the teeth, and the auditory ossicles that function in hearing, are located inside the
temporal bones
Skull (External view)
Parietal bones
o Joined at the midline by the sagittal suture
o Joined to the frontal bone by the coronal suture
o Joined to the occipital bone by the lambdoid suture
o Joined to the temporal bone by the squamous suture
The external occipital protuberance is an attachment site for an elastic ligament
Nuchal lines are the points of attachment for neck muscles
Skull (Lateral view)
The external acoustic meatus transmits sound waves toward the eardrum
Neck muscles attach to the mastoid process, which contains mastoid air cells
The temporal lines are attachment points of the temporalis muscle
The zygomatic arch forms a bridge across the side of the skull and is formed by
o temporal process of the zygomatic bone
o zygomatic process of the temporal bone
The mandible articulates with the temporal bone
o Body and ramus join the angle of the mandible
o Superior end is the mandibular condyle
Coronoid process is the attachment point for the temporalis muscle
Mental Foramen – mental nerve
Skull (Anterior view)
The orbits contain the eyes
o Superior and inferior orbital fissures provide openings for nerves and blood vessels
o Optic canal – where optic nerve enters the cranium
o Infraorbital foramen – infraorbital nerve passes
o Supraorbital foramen (notch) – supraorbital nerve and vessels
Nasolacrimal canal passes from orbit into the nasal cavity and contains a duct that carries tears from the eyes
Nasal Cavity
The nasal cavity is divided by the nasal septum
o Vomer – inferior bony part of nasal septum
o Perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone – superior part
Lateral wall consists of the nasal chonchae
o Inferior nasal concha – a separate bone
o Middle and superior conchae are projections of the ethmoid
Sinuses within bone are air‐filled cavities
o The paranasal sinuses, which connect to the nasal cavity, are the
Frontal sinus
Sphenoidal sinus
Maxillary sinuses
Ethmoidal labyrinth
Skull (Inferior surface)
Spinal cord and brain are connected through the foramen magnum
Occipital condyles are points of articulation between the skull and the vertebral column
Blood reaches the brain through the internal carotid arteries, which pass through the carotid canals
Most blood leaves the brain through the internal jugular veins, which exit through the jugular foramina
Styloid processes provide attachment points for three muscles involved in movement of the tongue, hyoid bone, and
pharynx
Mandibular fossa – where mandibular condyle articulates with the skull
Stylomastoid foramen – facial nerve passes into cranium
The hard palate separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity
o Palatine process – anterior two thirds of the hard palate
Skull – Floor of the Cranial Cavity
The crista galli is a point of attachment for one of the meninges
The olfactory nerves extend into the roof of the nasal cavity through the olfactory foramina of the cribriform plate
The sella turcica is occupied by the pituitary gland
Pterygoid process is tough shaped and anchors the pterygoid muscles – important for chewing
Petrous part of the temporal bone is hollow and contains the middle ear
Internal acoustic meatus – through which the vestibulocochlear nerve passes
Foramen rotundum – trigeminal nerve (maxillary division)
Foramen ovale – trigeminal nerve (mandibular division)
Hypoglossal canal – hypoglossal nerve
Skull – Floor of the Cranial Cavity
Sphenoid bone
Ethmoid Bone