Bones of the Human Skull

The human skull consists of both unpaired and paired bones that provide structure and shape.

The upper dome-like part of the skull that encases the brain, also known as the skullcap.

A process where bone develops directly from connective tissue membranes, forming important skull bones.

Soft spots on an infant's skull that allow for growth and passage through the birth canal.

Small openings in the skull that allow nerves and blood vessels to pass through.

The part of the skeleton that includes the skull, hyoid, ribs, sternum, vertebrae, and sacrum.

The part of the skeleton that includes bones of the upper and lower limbs.

Bones in the skull that are singular, including frontal, occipital, sphenoid, vomer, and ethmoid bones.

Bones in the skull that come in pairs, including parietal, temporal, zygomatic, maxilla, nasal, lacrimal, inferior conchae, and palatine bones.

Unpaired bone forming the forehead, including the supraorbital margin and glabella.

Unpaired bone forming the back of the skull, housing the foramen magnum.

A saddle-shaped depression in the sphenoid bone that houses the pituitary gland.

The depressions in the cranial base that accommodate the brain regions: anterior, middle, and posterior.

Cancellous bone found between the layers of the compact bone in the skull, containing red bone marrow.

The unpaired bone making up the lower jaw, containing processes for muscle attachment and alveolar processes.

The portion of the skull that encloses the brain, including bones like the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal.

The facial skeleton portion of the skull; includes bones like the maxilla, zygomatic, and mandible.

Specific points on an infant's skull where soft spots close; anterior by age 2, posterior by 2 months.

The fibrous joint connecting the frontal and parietal bones of the skull.

The fibrous joint between the two parietal bones that runs front to back.

The junction point where the sagittal suture meets the coronal suture.

Includes petrous, mastoid, and squamous parts, crucial for hearing and balance.

Nerves that emerge from the brain through openings in the skull, innervating head and neck regions.

Process where mesenchyme first forms a cartilage model, which is then converted into bone.

Bones that undergo intramembranous ossification, forming the cranial vault.

Embryonic connective tissue from which bones and other structures develop.

The cartilaginous part of the neurocranium forming the base of the skull.

Membranous coverings surrounding the brain, protected by the neurocranium.

Bone that is part of both the neurocranium and viscerocranium, located between eyes.