SKULL

Skull

The __ is consisting of the cranial part or braincase (occipital, frontal, parietal, temporal, ethmoid, sphenoid) which surrounds the brain, and the facial part (pterygoid, vomer, incisive, maxilla, nasal, palatine, zygomatic, lacrimal).

Occipital Bone

the most caudal bone of the skull. It contains the foramen magnum, through which spinal cord passes.

Occipital condyles

On the either side of the occipital bone is a pair of bony prominences, the __ which articulate with the atlas.

Pointed jugular or paracondylar processes

Lateral to the condyles are the ___.

Frontal Bone

forms the rostral part of the roof of the cranial cavity.

Zygomatic process

Frontal bones has a pointed process called the __ of the temporal bone that partly forms the orbit.

Parietal bone

together with the frontal bone, it forms the roof of the cranial cavity

Temporal Bone

lies below the parietal bone on the caudolateral surface of the skull.

Tympanic bulla

The most ventral part of the temporal bone forms a rounded prominence called the ___, which houses the structures of the middle ear.

Ethmoid Bone

unpaired bone, forms the rostral wall of the cranial cavity.

Sphenoid Bone

unpaired bone, lying on the ventral aspect of the skull, forming the floor of the cranial cavity. It houses the pituitary gland via a depression. It is divided into presphenoid and basisphenoid.

Pterygoid Bone

forms part of the lateral wall of the air passageway dorsal to the soft palate

Vomer (plowshare bone)

gutter-shaped bone that longitudinally separates the right and left nasal passages. Errol Jay Y. Balagan, DVM, MSc

Pterygoid Bone

forms part of the lateral wall of the air passageway dorsal to the soft palate

Vomer (plowshare bone)

gutter-shaped bone that longitudinally separates the right and left nasal passages.

supports the upper incisors and contributes to the formation of palatine fissure. Most rostral bone of the skull

Incisive Bone (Premaxilla)

Nasal Bone

longitudinal bone forming the roof of nasal cavity

Maxillary Bone (Maxilla)

forms the osseous lateral walls of the face and major part of the hard palate

Lacrimal Bone (Prefrontal Bone)

lies at the medial surface of the orbit, which houses the eye

Zygomatic Bone- (Jugal, Malar)

the zygomatic arch is an arch of bone that projects laterally from the skull, forming the cheekbone.

Palatine Bone

forms part of the hard palate, along with the maxilla and incisive bone.

Zygomatic Arch

the bony arch forming the lateral wall of the orbit. It consists of the temporal process of the zygomatic bone and zygomatic process of the temporal bone.

Orbit

the bony socket holding the eyes.

Lacrimal Fossa

the depression in the medial margins of the orbit. It collects tears and sends them through the lacrimal canal which opens into the nasal cavity.

Infraorbital Foramen

the rostral opening of the infraorbital canal, located in the maxillary bone.

Occipital Condyles

the paired structures lateral to the foramen magnum that articulate with the atlas.

Paracondylar Process (Jugular Process)

ventral projection lateral to the occipital condyle

External Acoustic Meatus

the large opening caudal to the zygomatic arch where the external ear attaches. In living animal, it is being covered by the ear drum (tympanic membrane).

Mastoid Process

located caudal to the external acoustic meatus which serves for muscle attachment.

External Occipital Protuberences

caudal process of the occipital bone.

Foramen Magnum

large opening into the cranial cavity for the continuity of the spinal cord and brain.

Tympanic Bulla

the smooth bulbous enlargement on the ventral side of the temporal bone housing the middle ear.

Mandibular Fossa

area on the zygomatic arch for the articulation with the condylar process of the mandible

Optic Canal

- the passageway for the optic nerve from the eyeball to the brain. It is rostal to all other foramina.

Choanae (Caudal Nares)

the two bony openings at the caudal end of the hard palate, leading from the nasal cavity into the pharynx.

Hard Palate

horizontal parts of the incisive, maxillary bone and palatine bone, separating nasal and oral cavity

Nuchal Crest

transverse ridge at the transition from the dorsal to the caudal surface of the skull

Temporal Fossa

depression formed by the temporal and parietal bone.

Nasal Aperture

the rostral bony opening into the nasal cavity.

Median Sagittal Crest

extends rostrally from the external occipital protuberance on the midline