the skull

Axial Skeleton

  • Forms the longitudinal axis of the body.

  • Comprises 80 bones:

    • Skull:

    • 8 cranial bones

    • 14 facial bones

    • Associated bones:

    • 6 auditory ossicles

    • 1 hyoid bone

Skull

  • Protects the brain and entrances to respiratory and digestive systems.

  • Consists of 22 bones:

    • 8 cranial bones (forming the cranium - braincase)

    • 14 facial bones (supporting entrances to digestive and respiratory tracts).

Cranial Bones

  • Enclose the cranial cavity which contains:

    • Brain

    • Cerebrospinal fluids

    • Blood vessels

    • Nerves

    • Membranes

Key Components of the Adult Skull

Cranial Bones:

  1. Frontal

  2. Parietal

  3. Occipital

  4. Temporal

  5. Sphenoid

Facial Bones:

  1. Zygomatic

  2. Nasal

  3. Maxilla

  4. Mandible

  5. Vomer

  6. Nasal conchae

Orbit Complex

  • Compositional bones include:

    1. Sphenoid

    2. Frontal

    3. Zygomatic

    4. Maxilla

    5. Lacrimal

    6. Ethmoid

    7. Palatine

Anatomy of the Skull

Sectional Components:

  1. Foramen magnum

  2. Clivus

  3. Dorsum sella

  4. Hypophyseal fossa

  5. Tuberculum sella

  6. Crista galli

  7. Cribriform plate

  8. Petrous portion of the temporal bone