Anterior Skull Bones
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Table of Contents
Background Information
Introduction
The skull (cranium) is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brain. It is subdivided into the facial bones and the cranial bones. The facial bones underlie the facial structures, form the nasal cavity, enclose the eyeballs, and support the teeth of the upper and lower jaws. The cranial bones surround and protect the brain and house the middle and inner ear structures.
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The Facial Bones
The facial bones (facial skeleton or viscerocranium) form the anterior portion of the skull and consist of 14 individual bones that create the framework of the face.
These bones form and protect the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, create the orbital cavities that house and protect the eyeballs, and support the teeth of the upper and lower jaws.
The inferior nasal conchae are a pair of curved bony plates that project into the nasal cavity from the cavity’s lower lateral walls.
The lacrimal bones are a pair of curved bony plates that project into the nasal cavity space from the lower lateral walls.
The mandible bone is a U-shaped bone that forms the lower jaw.
The two maxilla bones form the upper jaw, much of the hard palate, the orbit’s medial floor, and the nose’s lateral base.
The two nasal bones form the bridge of the nose and support the lateral nasal cartilages.
The two palatine bones are L-shaped bones that form parts of the orbits, nasal cavity, and the roof of the mouth (hard palate).
The vomer bone is a triangular-shaped bone that forms the posterior-inferior part of the nasal septum.
The zygomatic bones are a pair of irregular-shaped bones that form the prominence of the cheeks and much of the lateral walls and floor of the orbits.
The Cranial Bones
Eight cranial bones comprise the braincase (neurocranium), which encloses and protects the brain.
The ethmoid bone forms the roof and lateral walls of the upper nasal cavity and the upper portion of the nasal septum. It also contributes to the medial wall of the orbit. On the skull’s interior, the ethmoid also forms a portion of the floor of the anterior cranial cavity.
The frontal bone forms the anterior skull (forehead).
The occipital bone forms the posterior skull and posterior base of the braincase.
The two parietal bones form most of the upper lateral sides of the skull.
The sphenoid bone forms much of the skull’s central base and extends laterally to contribute to its sides.
The temporal bones are a pair of bones that form the lower lateral sides of the skull.
Illustrations
Anterior Skull
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Anterior Skull
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Anterior Skull
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Identification Quiz
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