Part 3 Axial Skeleton: Skull, Nasal Cavity, and Vertebral Column

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the axial skeleton notes, including features of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, neonatal skull fontanelles, auditory ossicles, anterior cranial landmarks, and the vertebral column.

Sinuses

Cavities located within several cranial and facial bones (frontal, ethmoidal, sphenoidal, and maxillary) that lighten the skull, act as resonance chambers for speech, and produce mucus for the nasal cavities.

Fontanelle (Fontanel)

Fibrous membrane regions in the developing and neonatal skull where fibrous tissue has not yet been converted to bone, keeping the skull flexible to pass through the birth canal.

Neonatal Fontanelles

The unossified fibrous areas of the infant skull, comprising the anterior fontanelle, posterior fontanelle, sphenoid fontanelle, and mastoid fontanelle.

Nasal Septum

The dividing wall of the nasal cavity composed of the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone, the vomer bone, and the septal cartilage.

Nasal Conchae

Scroll-like bony projections within the lateral walls of the nasal cavity, identified as the superior concha, middle concha, and inferior concha.

Crista Galli

A superior crest-like projection of the ethmoid bone located within the anterior cranial fossa.

Auditory Ossicles

The three tiny middle ear bones consisting of the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup).

Malleus

The hammer-shaped auditory ossicle of the middle ear.

Incus

The anvil-shaped auditory ossicle of the middle ear.

Stapes

The stirrup-shaped auditory ossicle of the middle ear.

Glabella

The smooth area of the frontal bone positioned directly superior to the bridge of the nose and between the orbits.

Supraorbital Foramen

An opening located along the superior orbital margin of the frontal bone.

Infraorbital Foramen

An opening on the anterior surface of the maxilla located directly below the orbit.

Mental Foramen

An opening located on the external surface of the anterior body of the mandible.

Alveolar Process

The tooth-bearing border found on both the maxilla and the mandible that supports the dental arches.

Coronal Suture

The transverse cranial suture that connects the anterior frontal bone to the paired parietal bones.

Vertebral Column

The spine; provides an anchoring point for muscles, protects the spinal cord within its internal cavity, transfers upper body weight to the hips and pelvic limbs, and is formed of 24 irregular vertebrae in adults (derived from 33 separate prenatal bones).

Intervertebral Disc

A pad of flexible fibro-cartilage situated between adjacent vertebrae to provide cushioning and separation.

Sacrum

A composite bone of the vertebral column formed by the fusion of 5 embryonic bones.

Coccyx

A composite bone at the terminal end of the vertebral column formed by the fusion of 4 embryonic bones.