
These muscles include the masseter, the temporalis, the medial pterygoid, and the lateral pterygoid. Mandible is the only movable skull bone in the body.įour different muscles connect with the lower jaw in order to facilitate its movement. The lower set of teeth in the mouth is basically rooted in the lower jaw. Movement of the lower jaw helps in opening and closing of the mouth and also allows for the chewing of food. The mandible, or the lower jaw, represents the bone that forms the lower part of the skull, and this along with the maxilla (or the upper jaw), forms the so-called mouth structure.
Occipital fontanelle – it is located at the junction of the sagittal and lambdoid sutures. Frontal fontanelle – these are located at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures. In neonates, the incompletely fused suture joints usually give rise to membranous gaps between the bones, which is called the fontanelles. Lambdoid suture: it fuses the occipital bone to the two parietal bones. Sagittal suture: this fuses both parietal bones with each other. The main sutures in the adult skull are follows:Ĭoronal suture: it fuses the frontal bone along with the two parietal bones. These joints have a significance in the context of trauma, as they represent points of potential weakness in the skull. They are immovable joints and fuse completely at the age of 20. Sutures are a type of fibrous joint that is unique to the skull. Mandible: these are present in the jaw, and it articulates with the base of the cranium at the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Vomer: are single and form the posterior aspect of the nasal septum. It comprises part of the upper jaw and the hard palate. Palatine: these are usually two in number and are situated at the rear of the oral cavity and forms part of the hard palate. Inferior nasal conchae: they are two in number and are located within the nasal cavity, these bones help to increase the surface area of the nasal cavity, thereby increasing the amount of inspired air that could come into contact with the cavity walls. Nasal: are also two in number, these are two slender bones that are located at the bridge of the nose. Lacrimal forms the part of the medial wall of the orbit. Lacrimal: these are also two in number, it is the smallest bone of the face. Zygomatic: they are generally two in number and form the cheekbones of the face and also articulate with the frontal, sphenoid, temporal and maxilla bones. The frontal bone, mainly the bone of the calvaria, is sometimes included as a part of the facial skeleton. The facial bones consist of 14 bones, that fuse together to house the orbits of the eyes, the nasal and oral cavities, and the sinuses. The facial skeleton is also called viscerocranium it supports the soft tissues of the face. atlas), the facial bones, and the mandible (jaw).
These bones articulate with the first cervical vertebra (i.e.
Cranial base: this comprises six bones such as the frontal, sphenoid, ethmoid, occipital, parietal and temporal. Cranial roof: it comprises the frontal, occipital and two parietal bones. Anatomically, the cranium is subdivided into a roof and a base: It encases and protects the brain, meninges, and other cerebral vasculature. The cranium, also called the neurocranium, is generally formed by the superior aspect of the skull. Here in this article, we will take a look at the anatomy of the bones of the skull – their orientation, articulations, and clinical importance. The bones of the skull can be divided into two groups: like that of the cranium (it consists of the cranial roof and the cranial base) and that of the face. It is composed of many bones that are formed by intramembranous ossification, and joined by sutures (i.e.
The skull represents a bony structure that helps support the face and forms a protective cavity for the brain.