The Axial Skeleton

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts of the axial skeleton and related structures.

Skeletal System

Includes bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilages.

Axial Skeleton

Forms the longitudinal axis of the body; consists of 80 bones.

Support and protect

Functions of the axial skeleton for the organs of the head, neck, and trunk.

Skull

Protects and supports openings to the digestive and respiratory tracts.

Cranial bones

8 bones that comprise part of the skull.

Facial bones

14 bones that form the structure of the face.

Mandible

The only movable bone of the skull.

Sutures

Immovable joints that connect skull bones, except for the mandible.

Auditory ossicles

3 tiny bones in the middle ear that transmit sound vibrations.

Hyoid bone

The bone that supports the tongue and is not directly attached to other bones.

Fontanels

Fibrous membranes that connect cranial bones in an infant's skull.