W1 | Skull and Brain Surface Anatomy Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering skull bones, sutures, points of intersection, cranial fossae, neuroanatomical directions, and cortical features of the brain.

Cranium

The portion of the skull referring to the skull structure without the mandible.

Calvaria

Also known as the skullcap, it consists of the superior portions of the frontal, parietal, and occipital bones, and is removed during a routine autopsy.

Vertex

The most rostral point of the calvaria located in the sagittal plane or sagittal suture.

Neurocranium

The division of the skull consisting of 8 cranial bones that enclose and protect the brain.

Viscerocranium

The facial skeleton consisting of 14 facial bones that form the face.

Craniosynostosis

A clinical condition resulting from the premature closure of cranial sutures.

Coronal Suture

The solid, fibrous joint situated between the frontal bone and the parietal bones.

Sagittal Suture

The solid, fibrous joint situated along the midline between the left and right parietal bones.

Lambdoid Suture

The solid, fibrous joint situated between the parietal bones and the occipital bone.

Squamous Suture

The solid, fibrous joint situated between the parietal bone and the temporal bone.

Pterion

The junction where the frontal, sphenoid, parietal, and temporal bones articulate, overlying the middle meningeal artery.

Asterion

The suture intersection formed by the junction of the parietal, temporal, and occipital bones.

Bregma

The anatomical intersection point on the skull where the frontal and parietal bones meet.

Lambda

The anatomical intersection point on the skull where the parietal and occipital bones meet.

Sphenoid Bone

A wing-like cranial bone located in the center of the skull, consisting of a body, greater wings, lesser wings, and pterygoid processes.

Ethmoid Bone

A complex cranial bone located deep within the skull comprising the cribriform plate, perpendicular plate, and lateral masses.

Cribriform Plate

A perforated region of the ethmoid bone in the anterior cranial fossa that transmits the olfactory nerves (CN I).

Perpendicular Plate of Ethmoid Bone

A central, inferiorly projecting bony plate of the ethmoid bone that forms the upper two-thirds of the nasal septum.

Anterior Cranial Fossa

The cranial fossa located superior to the nasal cavity and orbits, housing the frontal lobes of the brain.

Middle Cranial Fossa

The cranial fossa formed by the sphenoid and temporal bones, housing the temporal lobes of the brain and containing the sella turcica.

Posterior Cranial Fossa

The deepest cranial fossa, formed by the occipital, temporal, and parietal bones, housing the cerebellum and brainstem.

Sella Turcica

A depression within the sphenoid bone in the middle cranial fossa that houses the pituitary gland.

Petrous Part of Temporal Bone

A dense portion of the temporal bone housing the inner ear that separates the middle and posterior cranial fossae.

Extradural Hematoma

An accumulation of blood between the dura mater and the skull, typically caused by the rupture of the middle meningeal artery near the pterion.

Sulcus

A groove or depression on the surface of the brain (derived from the Latin word for 'furrow').

Gyrus

An elevated ridge or fold on the surface of the cerebral cortex (derived from the Greek word for 'a ring').

Fissure

A large or deep sulcus dividing major cerebral regions or hemispheres.

Rostral

A directional term in neuroanatomy meaning toward the front of the brain.

Caudal

A directional term in neuroanatomy meaning toward the tail or posterior end of the brainstem.

Ventral

A directional term in neuroanatomy meaning toward the belly or inferior aspect of the brain.

Dorsal

A directional term in neuroanatomy meaning toward the back or superior aspect of the brain.

Precentral Gyrus

A gyrus located in the frontal lobe anterior to the central sulcus, functioning as the primary motor cortex.

Postcentral Gyrus

A gyrus located in the parietal lobe posterior to the central sulcus, functioning as the primary sensory cortex.

Prefrontal Cortex

A region of the frontal lobe involved in high-level cognitive processes including attention, working memory, and decision making.

Gustatory Cortex

A cortical area located within the insula/frontal lobe responsible for the conscious perception of taste stimuli.