Skull Anatomy — Vocabulary Flashcards (Bones, Sutures, Fontanelles, and Ossicles)

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key bones, sutures, fontanelles, foramina, sinuses, and middle ear ossicles of the skull as presented in the notes.

Cerebral Cranium

The larger, postero-superior part of the skull that contains and protects the brain and provides attachment sites for some head and neck muscles.

Facial Cranium

The smaller, antero-inferior part of the skull that forms the framework of the face, houses sense organs and teeth, and provides openings for air and food.

Sutures

Fibrous joints between skull bones; include coronal, sagittal, lambdoid, and squamous sutures.

Mandible

The U-shaped lower jaw; the largest facial bone; only movable skull bone, with a body and two rami.

Calvaria

The skull cap; includes the cranial bones that protect the brain (frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, occipital; paired temporal and parietal bones).

Frontal bone

Forms the forehead and the roofs of the orbits; contains frontal sinuses; supraorbital margin and superciliary arches.

Parietal bone

Forms the superior and lateral aspects of the cranium; joined by sutures (coronal, sagittal, lambdoid, squamous).

Temporal bone

Located inferior to the parietal bones; contains the external acoustic meatus, mastoid process, styloid process, and petrous portion.

Occipital bone

Forms the posterior cranium; contains the foramen magnum and occipital condyles; articulates with the temporal and parietal bones.

Sphenoid bone

A butterfly-shaped bone considered the keystone of the cranial floor; has greater and lesser wings and pterygoid processes.

Ethmoid bone

Lies between the nasal and sphenoid bones; forms part of the medial wall of the orbits and nasal cavity; contains cribriform plate, crista galli, and perpendicular plate.

Malleus

Hammer; one of the three auditory ossicles in the middle ear.

Incus

Anvil; middle ear ossicle that articulates with the malleus and stapes.

Stapes

Stirrup; smallest auditory ossicle; footplate covers the oval window and articulates with the incus.

External acoustic meatus

Also called the external auditory canal; passage leading to the eardrum.

Mastoid process

Bony projection of the temporal bone containing air cells behind the ear.

Styloid process

Slender pointed projection from temporal bone; serves as an anchor for ligaments and muscles.

Petrous portion

Dense part of the temporal bone housing the ear's inner structures.

Zygomatic process (temporal bone)

Projection of the temporal bone that articulates with the zygomatic bone.

Mandibular fossa

A depression on the temporal bone that articulates with the mandible at the temporomandibular joint.

Maxilla

Second largest facial bone; forms the upper jaw and part of the orbit; contains maxillary sinuses.

Mandible (additional)

Lower jaw bone comprising the body, rami, and processes that articulate with the temporal bone.

Zygomatic bone

Cheekbone; forms part of the orbit and the cheek’s prominence; has frontal and temporal processes.

Nasal bone

Thin bones that form the bridge of the nose.

Lacrimal bone

Medial wall of the orbit; contains the lacrimal fossa for the lacrimal sac.

Palatine bone

L-shaped bone forming part of the hard palate and the posterior portion of the nasal cavity and orbit.

Vomer

Unpaired bone that forms the inferior part of the nasal septum.

Inferior nasal concha

Thin, curved bone projecting medially to form the lateral walls of the nasal cavity.

Foramen magnum

Large opening in the occipital bone through which the brain communicates with the spinal cord.

Foramen ovale

Opening in the sphenoid; transmits the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (V3) and vessels.

Foramen rotundum

Opening in the sphenoid; transmits the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve (V2).

Foramen spinosum

Opening in the sphenoid; transmits the middle meningeal vessels and nerve.

Optic canal

Canal in the sphenoid that transmits the optic nerve and ophthalmic artery.

Superior orbital fissure

Slit-like opening in the sphenoid; transmits cranial nerves III, IV, V1, VI and the superior ophthalmic vein.

Inferior orbital fissure

Gap between maxilla and sphenoid; transmits infraorbital nerve and vessels.

Olfactory foramina

Small openings in the cribiform plate of the ethmoid; transmit olfactory nerves.

Cribiform plate

Part of the ethmoid bone with numerous foramina for olfactory nerves.

Crista galli

Vertical projection of the ethmoid bone for dura mater attachment.

Sella turcica

Bony saddle on the sphenoid bone housing the pituitary gland (hypophyseal fossa).

Hypophyseal fossa

Depression within the sella turcica that houses the pituitary gland.

Dorsum sellae

Posterior boundary of the sella turcica.

Foramen lacerum

A crest-like opening at the base of the skull; in life mainly filled with cartilage and transmits small vessels.

Greater wing of the sphenoid

Larger wing portion of the sphenoid forming part of the middle cranial fossa and orbits.

Lesser wing of the sphenoid

Smaller wing portion of the sphenoid contributing to the floor of the anterior cranial fossa.

Pterygoid processes

Projects of the sphenoid bone for attachment of pterygoid muscles; form part of the posterior nasal cavity and sphenoid region.

Frontal sinus

Air-filled cavity within the frontal bone; drains into the middle meatus.

Ethmoidal air cells

Numerous small air cells within the ethmoid; drain into the middle and superior meatuses.

Sphenoidal sinus

Air-filled cavity within the body of the sphenoid bone; drains into the sphenoethmoidal recess.

Maxillary sinus

Largest paranasal sinus; located in the maxilla; drains into the middle meatus.

Paranasal sinuses

Air-filled cavities within the frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, and maxillary bones; lighten the skull and resonate voice.

Bregma

Meeting point of the coronal and sagittal sutures.

Lambda

Meeting point of the sagittal and lambdoid sutures.

Anterior fontanelle

Soft spot at the junction of the frontal and parietal bones; remains soft until about 2 years of age.

Posterior fontanelle

Junction of the parietal bones and occipital bone; closes earlier than anterior fontanelle.

Wormian bones

Small extra bones that can appear within cranial sutures.

Hyoid bone

Small, U-shaped bone between the mandible and larynx; has a body, greater horns, and lesser horns.

Jugular foramen

Opening between the temporal and occipital bones; transmits the internal jugular vein and cranial nerves IX–XI.

Internal acoustic meatus

Canal in the temporal bone that transmits the facial and vestibulocochlear nerves.

Mandibular condyle

Rounded end of the mandible that articulates with the mandibular fossa of the temporal bone.

Coronoid process

Anterior projection on the mandible for attachment of the temporalis muscle.

Mandibular ramus

Vertical part of the mandible extending from the body to the condyle and coronoid process.

Mandibular body

Horizontal part of the mandible forming the chin and holding the teeth sockets (alveolar process).

Mental foramen

Opening on the anterior surface of the mandible for the mental nerve and vessels.

Alveolar process

Ridge on the mandible and maxilla that contains tooth sockets.

Supraorbital margin

Upper margin of the orbit; marks the superior edge of the eye socket.

Superciliary arch

Ridge of bone under the eyebrow above the orbit.

Glabella

Midline, smooth elevation on the frontal bone between the superciliary arches.

Supraorbital notch

Notch or foramen in the supraorbital margin transmitting the supraorbital nerve and vessels.

Middle nasal concha

Concha of the ethmoid bone; forms part of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity and helps create nasal meatuses.