Skull Anatomy and Vertebral Column - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key skull and spine anatomy terms and landmarks from the notes.

Flat bones

Bones that are flat, thin, and slightly rounded (e.g., the bones that make up the skull).

Long bones

Bones that are longer than they are wide (e.g., bones of the arms and legs, such as the femur).

Short bones

Small, cube-shaped bones (e.g., the carpal bones in the wrist; similar small bones in the foot).

Irregular bones

Bones with complex or unusual shapes (e.g., the bones that form the spine).

Osteology

The study of bones.

Foramen

A hole in a bone through which nerves, arteries, or veins often pass.

Canals

Tubelike passages in bone that allow vessels or nerves to pass.

Process

A bony projection or outgrowth of a bone.

Tubercle

A small, rounded projection on a bone.

Tuberosity

A rough, large projection on a bone.

Fossa

A shallow depression or basin-like area on a bone.

Facet

A small, smooth surface where two bones meet to form an articulation.

Axial skeleton

The central skeleton: skull, vertebral column, ribs, and hyoid.

Neurocranium

The portion of the skull that protects the brain (cranial vault).

Frontal bone

Forehead bone; forms the front of the skull and part of the orbit; has a squamous part.

Parietal bone

Bones that form the walls/top of the skull.

Coronal suture

Suture between the frontal bone and the two parietal bones.

Sagittal suture

Suture along the midline between the two parietal bones.

Occipital bone

Posterior/base of the skull; contains the foramen magnum and occipital condyles.

Foramen magnum

The large hole at the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes.

Occipital condyles

Rounded structures on either side of the foramen magnum that articulate with the atlas.

Lambdoid suture

Suture between the occipital bone and the parietal bones (named after lambda).

Temporal bone

Bone at the side of the skull near the ear; contains mastoid and styloid processes and the external auditory meatus; has a squamous part.

Mastoid process

Large projection behind the ear; attachment for the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Styloid process

A long, slender projection for ligament and muscle attachment.

Mandible

Lower jaw; the only movable skull bone; forms the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with the temporal bone.

Maxilla

Upper jaw; houses upper teeth; forms part of the orbit and the hard palate; articulates with other facial bones.

Zygomatic arch

Cheekbone arch formed by the zygomatic bone and temporal bone; attachment for the masseter muscle.

Nasal bones

Two thin bones that form the bridge of the nose.

Lacrimal bone

Small bone forming part of the orbit; tears drain through a lacrimal foramen into the nasal cavity.

Palatine bone

Bone forming part of the hard palate and the nasal cavity.

Nasal septum

Partition between the two nasal cavities; formed by the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone and the vomer.

Perpendicular plate

Vertical plate of the ethmoid bone that forms part of the nasal septum.

Vomer

Bone contributing to the lower portion of the nasal septum.

Ethmoid bone

Anterior cranial bone with a perforated cribriform area; houses the olfactory nerves.

Cribriform plate

Sieve-like part of the ethmoid where the olfactory nerves pass.

Olfactory nerve (CN I)

The nerve responsible for sense of smell; passes through the cribriform plate.

Sphenoid bone

Butterfly-shaped bone; houses the sella turcica for the pituitary; forms part of the orbit and skull base.

Sella turcica

The saddle-shaped depression in the sphenoid bone that houses the pituitary gland.

Pituitary gland

Endocrine gland located in the sella turcica; the master gland.

Hyoid bone

A small, U-shaped bone in the neck that anchors the tongue and muscles involved in swallowing; not directly attached to other bones.

Vertebral body

The main weight-bearing part of a vertebra.

Vertebral arch

The bony arch posterior to the body that, with the body, forms the vertebral foramen.

Spinous process

Posterior protrusion from the vertebra; can be felt along the midline of the back.

Transverse process

Lateral projections on a vertebra for muscle and rib attachment.

Pedicles

Short bony bridges connecting the vertebral body to the vertebral arch.

Lamina

The part of the vertebral arch that connects the transverse process to the spinous process.

Laminectomy

Surgical removal of the lamina to access the spinal cord.

Vertebral foramen

The opening through which the spinal cord passes within the vertebral column.

Vertebral column terminology (C, T, L, S, CX)

Vertebrae are named by region: cervical (C), thoracic (T), lumbar (L), sacral (S), coccygeal (CX), with numbers indicating position.

Cervical vertebrae

Seven vertebrae in the neck region.

Thoracic vertebrae

Twelve vertebrae in the thoracic region that attach to ribs.

Lumbar vertebrae

Five vertebrae in the lower back.

Sacrum

Fused bone forming part of the posterior wall of the pelvis; consists of five sacral vertebrae.

Coccygeal vertebrae

3–5 small fused vertebrae forming the coccyx or tailbone.

Atlas (C1)

First cervical vertebra; supports the skull and articulates with the occipital condyles.