RA Flash Cards: The Skull

A bony ridge found on the inferior surface of the maxilla and the superior surface of the mandible which contains the sockets for the teeth.

Alveolar Processes

The opening or passageway of the ear.

External Auditory Meatus

The rounded projection on the inferior portion of the temporal bones just posterior to the lobe of the ear.

Mastoid Process

Directly inferior to the glabella and forming a dome over the superior portion of the nasal cavity. A triangular shape. The formation of the bridge of the nose is sustained by the articulation of these two bones.

Nasal Bones (2 bones)

The sharp, bony projection located medially at the inferior margin of the nasal cavity.

Nasal Spine of the Maxilla

The prominence at the center of the external surface of the occipital bone.

Occipital Protuberance

A single bone described as the lowest part of the back in base of the cranium, forming a cradle for the brain.

Occipital bone

Two bones that form the posterior 2/3 of the vault of the cranium and part of the sides of the skull.

Parietal Bones

The rounded peak of the external convexity of the parental bones; determines the widest part of the cranium; the eminences are located a short distance above the posterior border of the ears.

Parietal Eminence

The vertical portion of the mandible.

Ramus

Unpaired bone of the neurocranium, behind the eye socket. Located in the middle of the skull towards the front, in front of the basilar part of the occipital bone

Sphenoid

A small horn-like bone process that extends downward just forward of the external auditory canal. It is an anchor point for the tongue, larynx, and several other muscles.

Styloid Process

Bone of the nasal cavity situated between the nasal passages on the median plane; it forms the inferior and posterior portion of the septum of the nose.

Vomer

One of the lesser concavities of the face located on the lateral portion of the cheek inferior to the zygomatic arch.

Zygomatic Arch Depression

Bones of the cheek. Often described as being diamond shaped and forms the cheekbones; the surface of these bones is on both the frontal and lateral planes of the face.

Zygomatic bones (2 bones)

The lateral rim of the eye socket formed by a process of the frontal bone and a process of the zygomatic bone.

Zygomaticofrontal Process

A section of the zygomatic bone under and below the temporal region and the sphenoid bone. The muscles from the lower jaw connect to the upper part of the skull in this area.

Żygomatic Process

A bony angle formed by the junction of the posterior edge of the ramus of the mandible and the inferior surface of the body of the mandible; marks the widest part of the lower 1/3 of the face.

Angle of the Mandible

What are the three major sutures of the adult skull?

Coronal: the junction between the frontal and parietal bones. Lambdoidal: the junction between the parietal and occipital bones. Squamosal: the junction between the parietal and temporal bones.

of The anterior, non-articulating process the ramus of the mandible which serves as the insertion for the temporalis muscle.

Coronoid Process

Part of the frontal bone, the surface continues to ascend superiorly until it reaches the parietal bones. It is defined as the topmost part of the head.

Crown (Horizontal)

An anterior cranial bone located between the eye sockets in contributes to the medial wall of the orbit, the nasal cavity, and the nasal septum. It consists of three parts.

Ethmoid

An opening in the occipital bone through which the spinal cord passes from the brain.

Foramen Magnum

Part of the frontal bone, this surface extends from the upper margin of the eye sockets to the level of the two frontal eminences. It is identified as that part of the face above the eyes.

Forehead (Vertical)

The anterior third of the cranium, forming the forehead and the anterior portion of the roof of the skullI.

Frontal Bone (1 bone)

Eminences associated with the frontal bone.

Frontal Eminences Supraorbital Margins Superciliary Arches

The ascending part of the upper jaw which gradually protrudes as it rises beside the nasal bone to meet the frontal bone; the ascending process of the upper jaw.

Frontal Process of the Maxilla

A single bony prominence of the front bone located between the superciliary arches in the inferior part of the frontal bone above the root of the nose.

Glabella

The depression between the mental eminence and mandibular incisors.

Incisive Fossa

The lacrimal bone is located in the sinus/eye socket area anterior to the ethmoid bone below the nasal bones.

Lacrimal bone

The horseshoe shaped bone forming the inferior jaw.

Mandible (1 bone)

A rounded prominence at the end of the bone forming an articulation; the posterior process or the ramus of the mandible.

Mandibular Condyle

The small oval depression on the zygomatic process of the temporal bone into which the condyle of the mandible articulates, just anterior to the external auditory meatus.

Mandibular Fossa

A relatively deep indentation between the condyle in coronoid process of the mandible.

Mandibular Notch

A paired bone with several processes that form the skeletal base of most of the superior face, roof of the mouth, sides of the nasal cavity, and floor of the orbit.

Maxilla Bones (2 bones)

A triangular projection on the inferior portion of the anterior mandible.

Mental Eminence

The orifice in the bony face bound by the margins of the nasal bones in the maxilla.

Nasal cavity

Each of two rounded knobs on the occipital bone that form a joint with the first cervical vertebra.

Occipital Condyles

The vertical surface of the temporal bone.

Squama

Inferior portion of the sides and base of the cranium, inferior to the parental bones and anterior to the occipital bone.

Temporal Bones (2 bones)

The shallow depression found on the temporal region on either side of the skull. The temporalis muscles attach to the skull here.

Temporal Fossa

The concave surface of the head overlying the temporal bone.

Temporal cavity

Located on the rear of the zygomatic bone and is where temporal muscles connect to the zygomatic bone.

Temporal process

The processes on the temporal and zygomatic bones; determines the widest part of the face.

Zygomatic Arches