TABLE 1: SKULL

Overview:
● Cranial Bones
- Frontal bones
- Parietal bone
- Temporal bone
- Occipital bone
- Sphenoid bone
- Ethmoid bone

● Facial Bones
- Nasal bones
- Maxillae
- Zygomatic bones
- Lacrimal bones
- Palatine bones
- Inferior nasal conchae
- Vomer
- Mandible
 CRANIAL BONES

Frontal Bones forms the anterior third of the cranial dome

● Supraorbital foramen
○ hole on the superior edge of the orbit
● Frontal sinus
○ air space on the midline, between and superior
to the orbits

Parietal Bones form the middle segment of the cranial dome

● Sagittal suture
○ joins the two parietal bones together along the
midline
● Coronal suture
○ parietal + frontal
● Lambdoidal suture
○ parietal + occipital
Sphenoid Bones butterfly-shaped bone that forms part of the anterior floor and sides
of the cranium

● Body
○ hollow, cubelike central portion
● Greater wings
○ lateral winglike extensions of the body that form
part of the lateral wall of the orbit (eye socket)
● Lesser wings
○ narrow winglike extensions of the upper part of
the body that form the posterior part of the
orbit’s roof
● Optic foramen
○ round hole (for the optic nerve) through the
back wall of the orbit
● Superior orbital fissure
○ cracklike opening lateral to the optic foramen
● Inferior orbital fissure
○ cracklike opening in the inferior back wall of the
orbit
● Foramen rotundum
○ round opening seen from the inside of the skull,
anterior to the foramen ovale
● Foramen ovale
○ oval opening seen from the inside of the skull,
posterior to the foramen rotundum
● Foramen spinosum
○ small, opening, often with a small spinelike
bump protruding into it, posterior to the foramen
ovale
● Sella turcica
○ a double projection on the superior aspect of
the sphenoid
● Sphenoid tissue
○ air space inferior to the sella turcica, within the
body of the sphenoid

Temporal Bones sides of the cranium; extending inward to form part of the cranial
floor
 ● Zygomatic process
○ narrow bridge like projection of the temporal
bone; articulates with the temporal process of
the zygomatic bone
● Mastoid process
○ large bump posterior and inferior to the external
auditory meatus
● Styloid process
○ thin process anterior to the mastoid process
● External auditory meatus
○ tubelike opening of the ear canal
● Petrous portion
○ can be seen only from the anterior aspect of the
skull; looks like a “rocky cliff” anterior to the
occipital bone
● Squamous suture
○ joint along the top, curved edge of the temporal
bone with the parietal bone
● Mandibular fossa
○ depression that receives the condyle of the
mandible
● Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
○ joint formed by the mandibular fossa and the
mandibular condyle
● Internal auditory meatus
○ tubelike opening in the petrous portion
● Jugular foramen
○ round hole at the junction of the petrous portion
and the occipital bone
● Carotid foramen
○ canal through the petrous portion, slightly
medial to the jugular foramen

Occipital Bone forms the posterior portion of the cranial dome, curving inferiorly to
the base of the cranium

● Foramen magnum
○ very large hole (for the spinal cord)
● Occipital condyle
○ flattened bump lateral to the foramen magnum
● Hypoglossal canal
○ medial to the occipital condyle near the
foramen magnum

Ethmoid Bone forms the middle portion of the anterior cranial floor, extending
 inferiorly between the eye orbits to also form the roof of the nasal
cavity

● Ethmoid sinuses (air cells)

○ air spaces within the main portion of the bone
● Perpendicular plate
○ thin plate projecting downward along the
midsagittal plane; it forms the upper nasal
septum
● Crista galli
○ crest on the superior midline of the ethmoid
● Superior nasal concha (turbinate)
○ superior of three curved projections from the
nasal cavity’s lateral wall
● Middle nasal concha (turbinate)
○ middle of three curved projections from the
nasal cavity’s lateral wall
● Cribriform plate
○ thin perforated plate forming the ethmoid’s
superior surface
● Olfactory foramina
○ tiny holes in the cribriform plate (for olfactory
nerves from the upper nasal cavity)

FACIAL BONES

Zygomatic Bone forms the upper lateral corner of a cheek, from the lower eye orbit
around to the temporal bone
 ● Temporal process
○ wedge-shaped process that joins the zygomatic
process of the temporal bone
● Zygomatic arch
○ complete bridge like structure formed by the
zygomatic process of the temporal bone and
the temporal process of the zygomatic bone

Maxilla upper jaw bones; support the face from the eyes down to the mouth
across the front of the cheek

● Palatine process
○ platelike posterior projection of the upper jaw;
forms the anterior part of the hard palate
● Incisive canal
○ anterior hole in the palatine process near the
body’s midline
● Alveolar process
○ ridge in which the teeth of the upper jaw are
anchored
● Infraorbital foramen
○ hole on the anterior “cheek”, below the orbit
● Maxillary sinus
○ air space within the maxilla’s “cheek” portion
Palatine Bone join together at the midline to form the posterior third of the hard
palate

● Transverse palatine suture

○ joint between the palatine bone and the
maxilla’s palatine process
● Greater palatine foramen
○ larger, anterior of two holes in each palatine
bone

Lacrimal Bone medial margin of an eye orbit between the ethmoid bone and an
upward projection of the maxilla; each sulcus for the tear duct

Nasal Bone joined at the midline, forming the superior margin of the nasal
opening

Mandible lower jawbone; oddly shaped bone forming the lower part of the
face
 ● Mandibular arch (notch)
○ large, U-shaped curve of the superior edge of
the ramus
● Mandibular condyle
○ rounded, posterior of two projections on the
superior part of the ramus
● Coronoid process
○ anterior of two superior projections of the ramus
● Alveolar process
○ ridge along which the teeth are anchored
● Ramus
○ the posterior arms of the mandible that angle
upward
● Angle
○ the corner formed where the ramus begins its
upward angle
● Body
○ the entire anterior portion of the mandible, to
which the rami are attached
● Mandibular foramen
○ hole on the medial surface of the ramus near
the angle
● Mental foramen
○ hole on the anterior surface of the body just
lateral to the midline

Vomer forms the lower portion of the nasal septum that divides the nasal
cavity

Hyoid Bone Supports the tongue and is involved in swallowing.

OSSICLES

● Malleus – hammer
● Incus – anvil
● Stapes – stirrup