Head Anatomy: Cranium, Cranial Base, Scalp, Meninges, and Venous Sinuses

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering anatomical features of the cranium, cranial base, scalp, cranial meninges, and dural venous sinuses.

Coronal suture

The suture that unites the frontal and parietal bones.

Sagittal suture

The suture that unites the right and left parietal bones.

Lambdoid suture

The suture that unites the occipital bone with the right and left parietal and temporal bones.

Bregma

The landmark formed by the intersection of the sagittal and coronal sutures.

Vertex

The superiormost point of the cranium, located near the midpoint of the sagittal suture.

Features of Calvaria and Occiput

Anatomical landmarks and sutures of the skullcap and posterior view, including the bregma, lambda, parietal eminence, sagittal suture, coronal suture, and lambdoid suture.

Hard palate

The bony palate formed anteriorly by the palatine processes of the maxillae and posteriorly by the horizontal plates of the palatine bones.

Choanae

Posterior nasal apertures whose inferior boundary is formed by the posterior edge of the palatine bones and which are separated from each other by the vomer.

Vomer

A thin, flat bone that forms a part of the bony nasal septum.

Occipital condyles

Two large protuberances on each side of the foramen magnum by which the cranium articulates with the vertebral column.

Jugular foramen

The large fissure located between the occipital bone and the petrous part of the temporal bone.

Mandibular fossae

Depressions in the squamous part of the temporal bone that accommodate the heads of the mandible when the mouth is closed.

Stylomastoid foramen

An opening located between the mastoid and styloid processes of the temporal bone.

Internal Surface of Cranial Base

The internal aspect of the basicranium divided into anterior, middle, and posterior cranial fossae housing corresponding parts of the brain.

Layers of the Scalp

The five structural layers covering the neurocranium: Skin, Connective tissue (dense), Aponeurosis (epicranial), Loose connective tissue, and Pericranium.

Epicranial aponeurosis

A strong tendinous sheet covering the calvaria that serves as the broad intermediate tendon of the frontal and occipital bellies of the occipitofrontalis muscle and superior auricular muscle.

Loose connective tissue layer

The sponge-like layer of the scalp containing potential spaces that allow free movement of the scalp proper; known as the danger area because infection or fluid spreads easily within it.

Pericranium

A dense layer of connective tissue that forms the external periosteum of the neurocranium.

Ecchymoses

Purple patches that develop as a result of extravasation of blood into the subcutaneous tissue and skin of the eyelids and surrounding regions.

Cranial Meninges

The three membranous connective tissue layers (dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater) that protect and enclose the brain in a fluid-filled subarachnoid space.

Leptomeninx

The continuous membrane structure formed collectively by the thin arachnoid mater and delicate pia mater.

Subarachnoid space

The fluid-filled space located between the arachnoid mater and pia mater containing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Dural infoldings

Reflections formed where the internal meningeal layer of the dura separates from the external periosteal layer to divide the cranial cavity into compartments and support brain structures.

Falx cerebri

The largest dural infolding; a sickle-shaped partition lying in the longitudinal cerebral fissure that separates the right and left cerebral hemispheres.

Tentorium cerebelli

A wide crescentic dural septum that separates the occipital lobes of the cerebral hemispheres from the cerebellum.

Falx cerebelli

A vertical dural infolding lying inferior to the tentorium cerebelli in the posterior cranial fossa that partially separates the cerebellar hemispheres.

Diaphragma sellae

The smallest dural infolding, formed by a circular extension of dura suspended between the clinoid processes that forms a partial roof over the hypophysial fossa.

Dural venous sinuses

Endothelial-lined spaces between the periosteal and meningeal layers of the dura mater that receive venous blood from the brain and diploë.

Superior sagittal sinus

A dural venous sinus residing in the convex attached border of the falx cerebri, running from the crista galli to the confluence of sinuses.

Arachnoid granulations

Tufted prolongations of arachnoid that protrude through the meningeal layer of dura mater into dural venous sinuses and lateral venous lacunae to transfer CSF to the venous system.

Straight sinus

A dural venous sinus formed by the union of the inferior sagittal sinus with the great cerebral vein, running inferoposteriorly to join the confluence of sinuses.