Week 2, Skull

Week 2 Agenda

  • Readings: Chapter 4 (p. 43-77)

  • Lecture and Lab: Skull (Part 1)

  • Quiz: 1 Tuesday

Cranial Terminology

  • Skull: Total structure of the head

  • Cranium: The upper, portion of the skull that encloses the brain

  • Calvaria: The dome-like upper part of the cranium

  • Calotte: The curved parts forming the top of the skull

Key Cranial Terms

  • Diploë: Spongy bone located between the inner and outer tables of the skull

  • Diploic veins: Veins that run within the diploë of the skull

  • Emissary vein: Connects the intracranial venous sinus with the extracranial veins

  • Inner table: The inner layer of the skull's bony structure

  • Endosteal layer: The inner layer of the dura mater

  • Outer table: The outer layer of the skull's bony structure

  • Scalp: The skin covering the skull

  • Dural sinus: The spaces within the brain that contain venous blood

  • Inner table & Outer table: Describe the two outer layers of the skull around the Diploë

  • Dura mater: The tough outer layer of the meninges

  • Meningeal layer: The inner layer of the dura mater

  • Falx cerebri: A dural fold that separates the two hemispheres of the brain

Anterior View of the Skull

  • Frontal bone

  • Parietal bone

  • Superciliary arch

  • Glabella

  • Temporal bone

  • Supraorbital margin

  • Sphenoid bone

  • Supraorbital foramen

  • Ethmoid bone

  • Superior orbital fissure

  • Lacrimal bone

  • Inferior orbital fissure

  • Nasal bone

  • Perpendicular plate

  • Infraorbital foramen of the ethmoid bone

  • Nasal septum

  • Vomer

  • Zygomatic bone

  • Inferior nasal concha

  • Maxilla

  • Mandible

  • Mental foramen

  • Mental protuberance

Posterior View of the Skull

  • Parietal bones

  • Sagittal suture

  • Lambdoid suture

  • Occipital bone

  • External occipital protuberance

  • Temporal bone

  • Superior nuchal line

  • Mastoid process

  • Occipital condyle

  • Foramen magnum

  • Zygomatic bone

Lateral View of the Skull

  • Coronal suture

  • Frontal bone

  • Parietal eminence

  • Superior temporal line

  • Temporal bone

  • Inferior temporal line

  • Squamosal suture

  • Pterion

  • Lambdoid suture

  • Squamous region

  • Greater wing of the sphenoid bone

  • External auditory canal

  • Zygomatic bone

  • Maxilla

  • Mastoid process

  • Styloid process

  • Mandibular condyle

  • Temporal process of zygomatic bone

  • Body of mandible

Superior View of the Skull

  • Frontal bone - marked by the Coronal suture

  • Parietal bone - includes Sagittal suture and Lambdoid suture

  • Occipital bone

Inferior View of the Skull

  • Maxilla

  • Palatine bone

  • Incisive fossa

  • Transverse palatine suture

  • Palatine process

  • Zygomatic bone

  • Vomer

  • Nasal aperture

  • Frontal bone

  • Temporal bone

  • Pterygoid process

  • External acoustic meatus

Endocranial View of the Skull

  • Midsagittal Section:

    • Parietal bone

    • Greater wing of sphenoid bone

    • Squamous part of temporal bone

    • Sella turcica

    • Grooves for branches of middle meningeal vessels

    • Hypoglossal canal

Overview of Sutures

  • Coronal Suture: Between frontal and parietals

  • Lambdoid Suture: Between parietals and occipital

  • Squamous Suture: Between temporal and parietal (beveled)

  • Sagittal Suture: Between parietals

  • Occipitomastoid Suture: Between occipital and temporal

  • Parietomastoid Suture: Between parietal and temporal

  • Basilar/Spheno-occipital Suture: Between sphenoid and occipital

  • Metopic Suture: Between the frontal halves

Craniometric Landmarks

  • Points used for measurement and orientation

  • Prosthion

  • Nasion

  • Glabella

  • Bregma

Maxilla (Maxillae)

  • Articulates with:

    • Frontal

    • Nasals

    • Lacrimal

    • Ethmoid

    • Zygomatics

    • Sphenoid

    • Palatines

    • Vomer

  • Features:

    • Nasal process

    • Lachrymical groove

    • Infraorbital foramen

    • Canine fossa

Study Activity

  • Objective: Use the major bones of the skull (Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital, Maxilla) to create a mnemonic for articulation connections.

  • Example:

    • Occipital -> T (temporal), S (sphenoid), P (parietals), A (atlas)

    • Mnemonic: T – tempeh bacon, S - sound, P - perfectly, A - atrocious.