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Anatomy & Physiology: Skeletal System - Skull and Bone Classification

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Terms in this set (20)

  • Axial vs Appendicular Skeleton
    Axial skeleton consists of 80 bones including the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage. Appendicular skeleton consists of 126 bones including limbs and girdles.
  • Four Major Bone Shapes
    Long bones are longer than wide (e.g., humerus). Short bones are cube-shaped (e.g., talus). Flat bones are thin with two layers of compact bone (e.g., sternum). Irregular bones have complex shapes (e.g., vertebrae).
  • Cranial Bones of the Adult Skull
    Includes frontal, parietal (2), temporal (2), occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
  • Facial Bones of the Adult Skull
    Includes maxillae (2), zygomatic (2), nasal (2), lacrimal (2), vomer, inferior nasal conchae (2), palatine (2), and mandible.
  • Foramen vs Fossa vs Sulcus
    Foramen is a hole. Fossa is a shallow depression. Sulcus is a shallow groove.
  • Common Bone Processes
    Condyle is a large rounded projection. Facet is a small smooth surface. Head is a rounded projection atop a neck.
  • Ethmoid Bone Key Structures
    Includes crista galli, cribriform plate, perpendicular plate, and middle nasal concha.
  • Sphenoid Bone Key Structures
    Includes greater wing, lesser wing, optic canal, and hypophyseal fossa (sella turcica).
  • Important Skull Foramina and Their Functions
    Supraorbital foramen allows passage of supraorbital artery and nerve. Infraorbital foramen allows passage of cranial nerve V. Jugular foramen allows passage of internal jugular vein and cranial nerves IX, X, XI.
  • Mandible Features
    Includes body, ramus, angle, coronoid process, condylar process, mental foramen, and mandibular foramen.
  • Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
    Articulation between the condylar process of the mandible and the mandibular fossa of the temporal bone.
  • Major Sutures of the Skull
    Includes coronal suture, sagittal suture, squamous suture, and lambdoid suture.
  • Fontanelles of the Infant Skull
    Includes anterior fontanelle, sphenoidal (anterolateral) fontanelle, mastoid (posterolateral) fontanelle, and posterior fontanelle.
  • External Occipital Protuberance
    A prominent midline projection on the occipital bone used as a muscle attachment site.
  • Zygomatic Arch Composition
    Formed by the zygomatic process of the temporal bone and the temporal process of the zygomatic bone.
  • Optic Canal Function
    Allows passage of cranial nerve II (optic nerve) from the orbit to the brain.
  • Foramen Magnum Importance
    Large opening in the occipital bone allowing passage of the spinal cord.
  • Mandibular Foramen Function
    Allows passage of nerves that provide sensation to the teeth.
  • Mental Foramen Function
    Allows passage of blood vessels and nerves to the skin of the chin.
  • Alveolar Processes
    Ridges on the maxilla and mandible that contain the tooth sockets.