Surface Anatomy of the Head and Neck

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from lecture notes covering anatomical landmarks and features of the head and neck.

Surface anatomy

Study of structural relationships of external features of the body to its internal features.

Supraorbital ridge

Smooth elevated area directly inferior to each eyebrow.

Glabella

Smooth elevated area between the eyebrows.

Frontal eminence

Prominence of the forehead.

Epicranial aponeurosis

Attachments that prevent blood or infection in the scalp from passing into the neck or subtemporal regions.

Auricle

Oval flap of the external ear.

Helix

Superior and posterior free margin of the auricle which ends inferiorly at the lobule.

Lobule

Ipsilateral fleshy protuberance of the earlobe at the inferior end of the helix.

Tragus

Smaller flap of tissue of the auricle located anterior to the external acoustic meatus (EAM).

Antitragus

Flap of tissue of the auricle contralateral to the tragus.

Intertragic notch

Small groove located between the tragus and antitragus.

Orbit

Bony socket formed by various skull bones containing the eyeball and all its supporting structures.

Sclera

White area on the eyeball.

Iris

Central area of circular coloration on the eyeball.

Pupil

Opening in the center of the iris which appears black.

Lacrimal glands

Glands located posterior to each upper eyelid and deep within the orbit that produce lacrimal fluid or tears.

Conjunctiva

Delicate and thin membrane lining the inside of each eyelid and anterior to the eyeball.

Lateral canthus

Outer corner(s) where upper and lower eyelids meet.

Medial canthus

Inner angle(s) of the eye.

Nasion

Midpoint landmark of the nasal region inferior to the glabella corresponding with the junction between underlying bones.

Bridge of the nose

Bony structure located inferior to the nasion.

Apex of the nose

Tip at the end of the nose.

Naris

Nostril located inferior to the apex on each side of the nose (plural, nares).

Nasal septum

Internally midline structure separating the nares, formed by various skull bones and adjoining nasal septal cartilage.

Ala

Winglike cartilaginous structure bordering each naris laterally on each side (plural, alae).

Infraorbital region

Region of the head located inferior to the orbital region and lateral to the nasal region.

Zygomatic arch

Cheekbone formed from various skull bones extending from just inferior to the lateral margin of the eye toward the midline of the ear.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

Location inferior to the zygomatic arch and just anterior to the ear where the upper skull forms a joint with the lower jaw.

Masseter muscle

Buccal region muscle felt especially when a patient clenches the teeth together.

Golden Proportions

Set of guidelines allowing comparison of three parts of the face for functional and esthetic purposes.

Vermilion zone

Redder or darker area of each lip compared to surrounding skin.

Mucocutaneous junction

Transition area at the vermilion border outlining the lips from surrounding skin.

Philtrum

Vertical groove on the skin superior to the midline of the upper lip extending inferiorly from the nasal septum.

Tubercle of the upper lip

Thicker area at the midline termination of the upper lip inferior to the philtrum.

Labial commissure

Corner of the mouth where upper and lower lips meet.

Nasolabial sulcus

Groove running upward between each labial commissure and each ala of the nose.

Labiomental groove

Horizontally-located groove separating the lower lip from the chin in the mental region.

Maxilla

Bony upper jaw underlying the upper lip.

Mandible

Bony lower jaw underlying the lower lip.

Angle of the mandible

Sharp bend of the lower jaw inferior to the ear's lobule.

Labial mucosa

Pink to darker pink and thick mucous membrane lining the inner parts of the lips.

Buccal mucosa

Pink to darker pink and thick mucous membrane lining the inner cheek.

Buccal fat pad

Dense pad of inner tissue covered by buccal mucosa acting as a protective cushion during mastication.

Parotid papilla

Small elevation of tissue on the inner buccal mucosa opposite the maxillary second molar protecting the duct opening of the parotid salivary gland.

Maxillary tuberosity

Tissue-covered elevation on the maxilla located just posterior to the most distal maxillary molar.

Retromolar pad

Dense pad of tissue on the mandible located just posterior to the most distal mandibular molar.

Vestibular fornix

Location deep within each vestibule where labial or buccal mucosa meets thinner alveolar mucosa at the mucobuccal fold.

Mucobuccal fold

Line of junction where labial or buccal mucosa meets thinner, redder alveolar mucosa.

Labial frenum

Fold(s) of tissue located at the midline between labial mucosa and alveolar mucosa on both maxilla and mandible.

Alveolar process

Bony extension for both maxilla and mandible that contains each tooth socket or alveolus.

Periodontal ligament (PDL)

Fibrous ligament attaching teeth to the bony surface of alveoli, allowing slight movement while supporting the tooth.

Attached gingiva

Gingiva that tightly adheres to bone around roots of the teeth.

Mucogingival junction

Scallop-shaped line of demarcation between firmer attached gingiva and movable alveolar mucosa.

Marginal gingiva

Nonattached or free gingiva located at the gingival margin of each tooth.

Interdental papilla

Individual extension of interdental gingival tissue located between adjacent teeth adjoining attached gingiva.

Hard palate

Bony whiter anterior arched part of the palate or roof of the mouth.

Incisive papilla

Small bulge of tissue at the most anterior part of the hard palate lingual to the anterior teeth.

Palatine rugae

Firm irregular ridges of tissue located directly posterior to the incisive papilla on the hard palate.

Soft palate

Yellower, looser, and softer posterior part of the palate.

Uvula of the palate

Midline muscular structure hanging inferiorly as an extension from the posterior margin of the soft palate.

Median palatine raphe

Midline ridge of tissue on the hard palate running from the incisive papilla to the uvula.

Pterygomandibular fold

Vertical fold of tissue extending from the junction of hard and soft palates to the medial side of the mandibular ramus.

Base of the tongue

Posterior one-third of the tongue, also known as the pharyngeal part.

Body of the tongue

Anterior two-thirds of the tongue, also known as the oral part.

Median lingual sulcus

Midline depression on the dorsal surface of the tongue corresponding to the position of the deeper median septum.

Sulcus terminalis

V-shaped groove located farther posteriorly on the dorsal surface of the tongue.

Foramen cecum

Small pitlike depression where the sulcus terminalis points backward toward the throat.

Lingual tonsil

Irregular mass of lymphoid tissue located farther posteriorly on the dorsal surface of the tongue base on each side.

Plica fimbriata

Fold(s) with fringelike projections located lateral to deep lingual veins on the ventral surface of the tongue.

Foliate lingual papillae

Vertical ridges containing taste buds located on the side or lateral surface of the tongue.

Filiform lingual papillae

Slender and threadlike lingual papillae giving the dorsal surface of the tongue its velvety texture.

Fungiform lingual papillae

Red mushroom-shaped dots on the dorsal surface of the tongue body containing taste buds.

Circumvallate lingual papillae

Large mushroom-shaped lingual papillae, 10 to 14 in number, lining up along the anterior side of the sulcus terminalis.

Sublingual fold

Ridge of tissue on each side of the floor of the mouth associated with the underlying sublingual salivary gland.

Sublingual caruncle

Small papilla at the anterior end of each sublingual fold containing duct openings from submandibular and sublingual glands.

Mandibular torus

Developmental growth of bone present on the lingual aspect of the mandibular arch.

Nasopharynx

Part of the pharynx superior to the level of the soft palate, continuous with the nasal cavity.

Oropharynx

Part of the pharynx located between the soft palate and the opening of the larynx.

Laryngopharynx

Inferior part of the pharynx located close to the laryngeal opening, not visible during an intraoral examination.

Epiglottis

Flap of cartilage located posterior to the base of the tongue and anterior to the oropharynx.

Fauces

Opening from the oral region into the oropharynx, formed laterally by the faucial pillars.

Palatine tonsils

Tonsillar tissue located between the anterior and posterior faucial pillars.

Mental protuberance

Prominence of the chin.

Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle

Large strap muscle dividing each side of the neck diagonally into anterior and posterior cervical triangles.

Thyroid cartilage

Largest cartilage of the larynx, observed at the anterior midline as the laryngeal prominence or Adam's apple.

Hyoid bone

Bone in the anterior midline suspended in the neck superior to the thyroid cartilage without any bony articulations.

Submandibular triangle

Superior part of each anterior cervical triangle demarcated by the digastric muscle and superior mandible.

Submental triangle

Midline triangle formed by both right and left anterior bellies of the digastric muscle and the hyoid bone.