Skull Anatomy and Development: Key Bones, Sutures, and Fontanelles

What is the collective name for all the bones making up the skeleton of the head?

The Skull

What are the two main parts of the skull?

Cranium and Facial Bones

Which bone is the only moving bone in the skull?

The Mandible

What is the primary function of the skull?

To protect and support the brain and cranial nerves

What is one function of the skull related to the digestive system?

It forms and supports the origin of the digestive tract

What is the role of the skull in relation to special senses?

It protects and supports the organs of sight, sound, smell, and taste

What is haemopoiesis?

The production of red blood cells

Name the bones that make up the cranium.

Frontal, Occipital, Sphenoid, Ethmoid, Temporal (x2), Parietal (x2)

What does the coronal suture connect?

It unites the frontal bones with the parietal bones anteriorly

What is the lambdoid suture?

It unites the occipital bone with the parietal bones posteriorly

What does the sagittal suture connect?

It unites the left and right parietal bones in the midline

What is the bregma?

The anterior point where the sagittal and coronal sutures meet

What is the lambda?

The posterior point where the sagittal and lambdoid sutures meet

What process forms the bones of the skull from mesenchymal sheets?

Intramembranous ossification

What are fontanelles?

Spaces between skull plates that allow flexibility during birth and brain growth

What is the largest fontanelle and when does it close?

The Anterior Fontanelle, which closes 18-24 months after birth

What is the closure time for the posterior fontanelle?

It closes 2 months after birth

What are the key features of the ethmoid bone?

Ethmoid sinuses, orbital plates, cribiform plate, and perpendicular plate

What is the sella turcica?

A hollow depression in the sphenoid bone that contains the pituitary gland

What are the four parts of the occipital bone?

Basilar, Condylar, Squamous, and Foramen Magnum

What is the function of the foramen magnum?

It allows the spinal cord (medulla oblongata) to pass through

What bones make up the orbital cavity?

Frontal, Sphenoid, Lacrimal, Palatine, Zygomatic, Maxilla, and Ethmoid

What is the superior orbital fissure?

It transmits the oculomotor, trochlear, abducent nerves, and ophthalmic veins

What is the infraorbital groove?

It contains the infraorbital nerve before it passes through the infraorbital canal

What are the key bony landmarks used for positioning?

Vertex, External Occipital Protuberance, External Auditory Meatus, Outer Canthus of Eye, Infra-orbital point, Nasion, Glabella