Axial Skeleton and Skull Anatomy

Comprehensive flashcards covering the axial skeleton, cranial bones, facial bones, and major skull markings based on the lecture notes.

Axial Skeleton

Consists of $80$ bones in three major regions: the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage.

Cranial Vault (calvaria)

The superior portion of the skull, also known as the skullcap, composed of lateral, posterior, and frontal aspects.

Cranial Base

The inferior floor of the skull which contains the anterior, middle, and posterior fossae.

Coronal Suture

The firm interlocking joint where the parietal bones and the frontal bone meet anteriorly.

Sagittal Suture

The joint where the right and left parietal bones meet superiorly.

Lambdoid Suture

The joint where the parietal bones and the occipital bone meet posteriorly.

Squamosal (squamous) Suture

The joint where the parietal bones and the temporal bones meet laterally.

Glabella

The smooth area of the frontal bone located between the supraorbital margins.

Occipital Condyles

Rounded articular projections located at the extreme end of each occipital bone.

Foramen Magnum

The large opening in the base of the occipital bone through which the spinal cord joins with the lower brain.

Hypoglossal Canal

An opening in the occipital bone for $cranial nerve XII$.

External Auditory Meatus

The external ear canal located within the temporal bone.

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)

The joint formed by the articulation of the mandible with the mandibular fossae of the temporal bone.

Sella Turcica

The "Turk’s saddle" in the sphenoid bone that contains the hypophyseal fossa, which houses the pituitary gland.

Cribriform Plates

Parts of the ethmoid bone that contain foramina for the olfactory filaments.

Crista Galli

A marking on the ethmoid bone that serves as an attachment site for the dura mater.

Wormian Bones (Sutural Bones)

Tiny, irregularly shaped bones that appear within sutures, most often in the lambdoid suture.

Mandible

The largest and strongest facial bone, which forms the U-shaped lower jawbone.

Alveolar Process

The part of the mandible that contains the tooth sockets to anchor the lower teeth.

Mental Foramina

Openings in the mandible that serve as passageways for a branch of $CN V$.