Skeletal & Muscular System – Axial Skeleton Review

Question-and-answer flashcards covering bone markings, cranial and facial bones, hard palate anatomy, vertebrae, and ribs for exam preparation.

What category of bony markings serves as attachment points for tendons and ligaments?

Projections for muscle and ligament attachment.

Which large, rounded projection on the tibia is an example of a tuberosity?

The tibial tuberosity.

Name the very large blunt projection found only on the femur.

The greater trochanter.

What narrow ridge is less prominent than a crest and is found on the femur’s posterior shaft?

The linea aspera (a line).

Which small, rounded projection on the humerus is called a tubercle?

The greater tubercle of the humerus.

What smooth, flat articular surface on vertebrae allows them to stack and articulate?

Facets of the vertebrae.

Which raised area above a condyle on the humerus serves as an attachment site for forearm muscles?

The medial epicondyle.

What sharp, slender projection runs along the posterior of the scapula?

The spine of the scapula.

Name the rounded articular projections on the femur that articulate with the tibia.

The medial and lateral condyles.

Which passageway in the occipital bone allows the spinal cord to exit the skull?

The foramen magnum.

What shallow depression on the posterior humerus receives the olecranon of the ulna?

The olecranon fossa.

Which canal in the temporal bone forms the external ear canal?

The external acoustic meatus.

What narrow slit in the sphenoid bone transmits cranial nerves III, IV, VI, and part of V?

The superior orbital fissure.

Which sinus in the frontal bone lightens the skull and resonates the voice?

The frontal sinus.

How many cranial bones form the cranium and protect the brain?

Eight cranial bones.

Which bone forms the forehead and contains the frontal sinuses?

The frontal bone.

What skull bone contains the external acoustic meatus, mastoid process, and styloid process?

The temporal bone.

Name the opening in the sphenoid bone that transmits the optic nerve.

The optic canal.

Which cranial bone is called the "keystone" of the skull because it articulates with all other cranial bones?

The sphenoid bone.

What superior nasal structure in the ethmoid bone contains holes for olfactory nerves?

The cribriform plate.

How many facial bones form the face and support sense organs?

Fourteen facial bones.

Which bones form the bridge of the nose?

The nasal bones.

What facial bones form the anterior hard palate and contain the infraorbital foramen?

The maxillae.

Which bone is the only movable bone of the skull and contains the mental foramen?

The mandible.

Name the suture located between the frontal and parietal bones.

The coronal suture.

Which ear ossicle is the smallest bone in the human body?

The stapes.

What two bones form the posterior one-third of the hard palate?

The horizontal plates of the palatine bones.

Which midline joint runs the length of the hard palate between left and right palatal bones?

The median palatine suture.

Failure of palatal bones to fuse during fetal development results in what condition?

Cleft palate.

Which cervical vertebra lacks a body and allows the head to nod “yes”?

C1, the atlas.

Which cervical vertebra contains the dens, enabling the head to shake “no”?

C2, the axis.

What openings in cervical vertebrae transmit the vertebral arteries to the brain?

The transverse foramina.

Thoracic vertebrae have facets on their bodies and transverse processes for articulation with what structures?

The ribs.

Which vertebrae are the largest and bear the most body weight?

The lumbar vertebrae (L1–L5).

What fused bone forms the posterior wall of the pelvis and has sacral foramina for spinal nerves?

The sacrum.

How many pairs of ribs are classified as true (vertebrosternal) ribs?

Seven pairs (ribs 1–7).

Which ribs are called floating ribs and lack any anterior attachment to the sternum?

Ribs 11 and 12.

Where does the head of a typical rib articulate posteriorly?

With the bodies of its same-numbered thoracic vertebra and the vertebra above.

What is the primary function of intervertebral discs?

To absorb shock and form cartilaginous joints between vertebral bodies.

Which part of a typical vertebra forms the vertebral canal for the spinal cord?

The vertebral foramen.

What rib movement increases thoracic cavity volume during inhalation?

Elevation of the ribs.

Which bony landmark on the mandible articulates with the temporal bone to form the temporomandibular joint?

The mandibular condyle.

What canal in the temporal bone transmits the internal carotid artery into the cranial cavity?

The carotid canal.

Which triangular bone at the base of the vertebral column provides attachment for pelvic floor muscles?

The coccyx (tailbone).