DEH Head and Neck Anatomy - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical planes, directions, regional landmarks, oral cavity structures, tongue anatomy, palate, pharynx, neck regions, and related clinical landmarks from the head and neck lecture notes.

Anterior (ventral)

Front of the body.

Posterior (dorsal)

Back of the body.

Superior

Toward the head; above.

Inferior

Toward the feet; below.

Apex

Tip or pointed end.

Median plane (midsagittal)

Divides the body into right and left halves.

Sagittal plane

Plane parallel to the median plane.

Frontal (coronal) plane

Divides the body into anterior and posterior parts.

Horizontal plane

Divides the body into superior and inferior parts.

Medial

Closer to the midline.

Lateral

Farther from the midline.

Distal

Farther from the origin or reference point.

Proximal

Closer to the origin or reference point.

Ipsilateral

On the same side.

Contralateral

On the opposite side.

Superficial

Near the surface.

Deep

Away from the surface; interior.

Internal

Inner side of hollow surface.

External

Outer side of hollow surface.

Frontal region

Forehead region.

Supraorbital ridge

Prominent ridge above the eye socket.

Glabella

Smooth area between the eyebrows.

Parietal region

Top of the head region.

Temporal region

Side of the head near the temples; includes the ear.

Zygomatic region

Cheek region over the zygomatic bone.

Occipital region

Back of the head.

Orbital region

Region surrounding the eye socket.

Infraorbital region

Below the orbit.

Nasal region

Nose region.

Oral region

Mouth region.

Buccal region

Cheek region.

Mental region

Chin region.

Frontal eminence

Rounded prominence of the forehead.

Auricle

External ear.

Helix

Outer rim of the ear.

Tragus

Projection in front of the ear canal.

Antitragus

Projection opposite the tragus.

Lobule

Earlobe.

External acoustic meatus

Ear canal.

Sclera

White of the eye.

Iris

Colored part of the eye.

Pupil

Opening that responds to light.

Lacrimal gland

Tear-producing gland.

Conjunctiva

Lining of the eyelids and eyeball.

Lateral canthus

Outer corner of the eye.

Medial canthus

Inner corner of the eye.

Root of the nose

Area between the eyes.

Nasion

Midline point just inferior to the glabella; landmark at the junction of frontal and nasal bones.

Bridge of the nose

Area inferior to nasion.

Apex (nasal apex)

Nose tip.

Naris

Nostril openings.

Nasal septum

Separates the nares.

Ala

Winglike side of the nose.

Infraorbital region

Region below the orbit.

Zygomatic region

Cheek region over the zygomatic arch.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

Joint between the skull and mandible.

Masseter muscle

Major jaw-closing muscle of mastication.

Angle of the mandible

The corner angle of the lower jaw.

Zygomatic arch

Arch of bone over the cheek formed by the zygomatic and temporal bones.

Parotid papilla

Duct opening of the parotid gland on the buccal mucosa opposite the maxillary second molar.

Maxillary vestibule

Space between the teeth and the lips/cheeks.

Alveolar mucosa

Mucosa over the dental alveolar ridges.

Buccal mucosa

Inner cheek lining.

Mucobuccal fold

Fold where buccal mucosa meets the alveolar mucosa.

Mandibular vestibule

Lower vestibular space.

Labial mucosa

Mucosa of the lips.

Labial frenum

Midline fold connecting lips to gingiva.

Hard palate

Bony anterior part of the palate.

Median palatine raphe

Midline seam on the hard palate.

Incisive papilla

Tissue pad behind the incisors on the hard palate.

Palatine rugae

Ridges on the hard palate.

Soft palate

Muscular posterior part of the palate.

Uvula

Pendent tissue from the soft palate.

Pterygomandibular fold

Fold from the junction of hard/soft palate to the mandible; anesthesia landmark.

Lingual papillae

Taste bud-bearing projections on the tongue.

Filiform papillae

Threadlike papillae; usually do not contain taste buds.

Fungiform papillae

Mushroom-shaped papillae with taste buds.

Circumvallate papillae

Large papillae at the back of the tongue with taste buds.

Foliate papillae

Leaflike papillae on the lateral tongue.

Foramen cecum

Opening at the apex of the sulcus terminalis.

Median lingual sulcus

Midline groove on the dorsal surface of the tongue.

Lingual tonsil

Lymphoid tissue at the base of the tongue.

Plica fimbriata

Fimbriated folds on the ventral tongue.

Sublingual caruncle

Opening of the sublingual ducts on the floor of the mouth.

Sublingual fold

Mucosal fold along the floor of the mouth.

Lingual frenulum

Fold connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.

Floor of the mouth

Region beneath the tongue.

Sulcus terminalis

V-shaped groove on the dorsal tongue.

Lingual veins

Deep veins visible on the ventral surface of the tongue.

Base of the tongue

Posterior part that lies in the pharynx; pharyngeal portion.

Body of the tongue

Main part of the tongue within the oral cavity.

Apex of the tongue

Tip of the tongue.

Dorsal surface

Top surface of the tongue.

Ventral surface

Bottom surface of the tongue; contains lingual veins.

Pharynx

The throat; passage connecting nasal and oral cavities to the esophagus.

Nasopharynx

Upper part of the pharynx behind the nasal cavity.

Oropharynx

Pharynx behind the oral cavity, between soft palate and epiglottis.

Laryngopharynx

Lower part of the pharynx; extends to the esophagus.

Fauces

Opening between the oral cavity and oropharynx, bounded by arches.

Palatine tonsils

Tonsils located between the palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal arches.