Anatomy of the Skull, Vertebrae, and Ribs: Key Bones and Landmarks

Frontal

Big Forehead plate

Parietal

left and right bones just behind frontal

Occipital

back and bottom of the skull

Temporal

below perietal bone on either side of the skull

Sphenoid

Bat shaped bone separating face form brain

Ethmoid

Separates nasal process from brain

Nasal

bridge of the nose

Maxilla

Makes up nasal opening, lower part of orbit, and holds the upper teath

Zygomatic

Anterior bridge

Lacrimal

Makes up most of the Lacrimal foramen (Holes where tears drain from)

Palatine

Back quarter of hard pallet

Vomer

Flat plate of bone, main piece of nasal septum

Mandible

Jaw and lower teeth

Hyoid

not attached to skeleton but floats in the muscle, helps swallow and tongue

Cervical vertebrae

C1-C7

Thoracic vertebrae

T1-T12, Ribs attached

Lumbar vertebrae

L1-L5, lower back

Sacrum (sacral vertebrae)

Triangular part below lumbar vertebrae

Coccygeal vertebrae

last bones of the tail, usually 3-5

True ribs

first 7 pairs of ribs; attach directly to sternum through cartilage

False ribs

last 5 pairs of ribs; attach indirectly to sternum

Floating ribs

last two pairs of ribs; do not attach to sternum

Manubrium

upper sternum, before the second rib

Body of sternum

Lower sternum excluding xiphoid

Xiphoid process

inferior portion of the sternum

Orbit

eye sockets

Nasal opening

nose hole on skull

External Acoustic Meatus

Canal leading to eardrum and middle ear/

ear hole

Zygomatic arch

cheek bone, half temporal, half zygomatic

Mastoid process

bump of bone behind ear

Styli's process of the temporal bone

little spike bellow ear

Infraorbital foramen

opening under the orbit carrying the infraorbital nerves and blood vessels the the nasal region and cheeks

Nasal Septum

splits the right and left nasal cavities

Lacriminal Foramen

holes where the tears drain from

Foramen Magnum

A large opening at the base of the skull through which the brain connects to the spinal cord.

Occipital condyle

ridges on left and right of foramen magnum

Hard Palate

separates the oral and nasal cavities (breath and eat)

Mental foramen

Holes by the chin

Mental protuberance

Part of the mandible that forms the chin

body of mandible

the horizontal portion of the lower jaw with teeth

Angle of the mandible

The lower posterior of the ramus

Ramus of mandible

vertical part of mandible with 2 projections

Condylar process

Posterior nob

Coronado process

Anterior nob chewing

Spinous process

little bumps running down the back sticking through skin

Transverse process

two lateral projections from the vertebral arch

Transverse foramen (cervical only)

holes in the transverse cervical vertebrae

Sacral Foramen (sacrum only)

holes on sacrum

Auricular surface (sacrum only)

lines on sacrum

Foramen

Hole

Condyle

joint

Process

any bony prominence

Skull

Has mandible

cranium

no mandible

axial skeleton

skull, vertebral column, rib cage