Cranial Fossas and Cranial Nerves

bone components of the anterior cranial fossa

ethmoid bone, frontal bone, lesser wing of sphenoid bone

brain components of anterior cranial fossa

frontal lobe

openings in the superior cranial fossa

cribriform plate

what exits from the cribriform plate

olfactory nerve

bone components of the middle cranial fossa

greater sphenoid wing and temporal bone (lateral part); hypophyseal fossa and chiasmatic groove (medial part)

brain components of the middle cranial fossa

temporal lobes

openings in the middle cranial fossa

optic canal, cavernous sinus, superior orbital fissue, foramen rotunda, foramen ovale, foramen spinosum

optic canal

exit for optic nerve and ophthalmic artery

cavernous sinus

contains oculomotor, trochlear, abducens, ophthalmic, and maxillary nerves

superior orbital fissure

exit for ophthalmic division, oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, and abducent nerve

foramen rotundum

exit for maxillary division

foramen ovale

exit for mandibular division

foramen spinosum

entrance for middle meningeal artery

bone components of posterior cranial fossa

petrous part of temporal bone, dorsum sellae, clivus, and occipital bone

brain components of posterior cranial fossa

pons, medulla, cerebellum, occipital lobe

internal acoustic meatus

exit for labyrinthine artery/vein, vestibulocholea nerve, facial nerve

jugular foramen

exit for internal jugular vein, glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve

foramen magnum

exit for spinal accessory nerve and vertebral artery

hypoglossal canal

exit for hypoglossal nerve

anterior cerebral artery

anterior communicating artery

internal carotid artery

middle cerebral artery

posterior cerebral artery

posterior communicating artery

basilar artery

vertebral artery

olfactory nerve CN I

optic nerve CN II

oculomotor nerve CN III

trochlear nerve CN IV

trigeminal nerve CN V

abducens nerve CN VI

facial nerve CN VII

vestibulochochlear nerve CN VIII

glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)

vagus nerve CN X

cranial accessory nerve CN XII

hypoglossal nerve XII