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Anatomy & Physiology: The Skull

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  • How many bones make up the human skull, excluding auditory ossicles?
    The skull consists of 22 bones, divided into cranial and facial bones.
  • What are the two main groups of skull bones?
    Cranial bones (8) encase the brain, and facial bones (14) form the face framework.
  • Name the 8 cranial bones.
    Frontal, parietal (2), temporal (2), occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
  • Name the 14 facial bones.
    Maxilla (2), zygomatic (2), nasal (2), lacrimal (2), palatine (2), inferior nasal concha (2), vomer, and mandible.
  • What type of joints connect most skull bones?
    Most skull bones are joined by immovable sutures, except the mandible.
  • What are the two main parts of the cranial cavity?
    The cranial vault (calvaria) forms the roof, and the cranial base forms the floor.
  • What are the three cranial fossae and their brain regions?
    Anterior cranial fossa houses frontal lobes, middle cranial fossa houses temporal lobes, posterior cranial fossa contains the cerebellum.
  • Which bones form the orbit?
    Frontal, maxilla, zygomatic, sphenoid, ethmoid, lacrimal, and palatine bones.
  • What is the function of the paranasal sinuses?
    They lighten the skull, filter and humidify air, and enhance voice resonance.
  • What bones contribute to the nasal cavity walls and septum?
    Lateral walls: ethmoid, palatine, inferior nasal conchae, maxilla; septum: hyaline cartilage (anterior), perpendicular plate of ethmoid and vomer (posterior).
  • What are fontanels and their function in infants?
    Fontanels are membranous soft spots allowing skull flexibility during birth and brain growth.
  • How do male and female skulls differ?
    Males have sloped foreheads, prominent supraorbital ridges, ~90° mandibular angles, larger mastoid processes; females have straighter foreheads, less prominent ridges, wider mandibular angles, smaller mastoid processes.
  • What is unique about the hyoid bone?
    It is a small, C-shaped bone in the neck that does not articulate with other bones and supports muscles for swallowing and speech.
  • Which skull bone contains the foramen magnum?
    The occipital bone contains the foramen magnum for spinal cord passage.
  • Which bone forms the lower jaw and is movable?
    The mandible is the only movable skull bone and holds the lower teeth.
  • What bones form the hard palate?
    The hard palate is formed by the palatine bones and maxillae.
  • What is the role of the lacrimal bone?
    It houses the lacrimal sac involved in tear drainage.
  • Which bone supports the nasal cavity and forms part of the orbit?
    The ethmoid bone supports the nasal cavity and forms part of the orbit.
  • What bones form the cheekbone and part of the orbit?
    The zygomatic bones form the cheekbones and part of the orbit.
  • What clinical significance does a fractured hyoid bone have?
    A fractured hyoid bone may indicate strangulation in forensic investigations.