Study Notes for Anatomy and Physiology I - Skeletal System

Flashcards covering key anatomical terms and definitions related to the skeletal system, including axial and appendicular divisions, skull bones, and vertebral column components, as presented in the lecture notes.

Axial skeleton

The 80 bones of the head, neck, and torso; forms the upright axis of the body and includes six tiny middle ear bones.

Appendicular skeleton

The 126 bones that form the appendages to the axial skeleton, comprising the upper and lower extremities.

Skull

Made up of 28 bones, divided into cranial bones and facial bones.

Frontal bone

Forms the forehead and anterior part of the top of the cranium, contains frontal sinuses, and forms the coronal suture with the two parietal bones.

Parietal bones

Form the bulging top of the cranium and form several sutures: lambdoid, squamous, and coronal.

Occipital bone

Forms the lower, posterior part of the skull, forming immovable joints with other cranial bones and a movable joint with the first cervical vertebra.

Sphenoid bone

A bat-shaped bone in the central portion of the cranial floor that anchors several other cranial bones and forms part of the cranial wall and orbital floor.

Ethmoid bone

A complex, irregular bone that forms the anterior cranial floor, medial orbit walls, upper nasal septum, and sidewalls of the nasal cavity; also contains the cribriform plate.

Maxilla (upper jaw)

Two bones that form the keystone of the face, articulate with various facial bones, and form parts of the orbital floors, roof of the mouth, and nasal cavity.

Mandible (lower jaw)

The largest, strongest bone of the face, forming the only movable joint of the skull with the temporal bone.

Zygomatic bone

Shapes the cheek and forms the outer margin of the orbit, also forming the zygomatic arch with the temporal bone.

Nasal bone

The two bones that form the upper part of the bridge of the nose.

Lacrimal bone

A paper-thin bone that forms part of the nasal cavity and medial wall of the orbit, containing a groove for the nasolacrimal (tear) duct.

Palatine bone

Two bones that form the posterior part of the hard palate and the lateral wall of the posterior part of each nasal cavity.

Inferior nasal conchae (turbinates)

Bones that form the lower edge projecting into the nasal cavity and form the nasal meatus.

Vomer bone

The bone that forms the posterior portion of the nasal septum.

Fontanels

Also known as 'soft spots,' these features in a fetal skull allow it to mold during birth and accommodate rapid brain growth.

Hyoid bone

A U-shaped bone located just above the larynx and below the mandible, and the only bone in the body that articulates with no other bones.

Vertebral column

Forms the flexible longitudinal axis of the skeleton, consisting of 24 vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx.

Dens (odontoid process)

An upward projection of the second cervical vertebra (Axis) that allows for rotation of the head.

Sternum

A dagger-shaped bone in the middle of the anterior chest wall, made up of the manubrium, body, and xiphoid process.

Manubrium

The upper, handle-like part of the sternum that articulates with the clavicle and first rib.

Xiphoid process

The blunt cartilaginous lower tip of the sternum, which ossifies during adult life.

Ribs

Twelve pairs of bones that, with the vertebral column and sternum, form the thorax.

Floating ribs

Ribs 11 and 12, which do not attach even indirectly to the sternum.