Human Anatomy: Bones of the Skull Quiz

The parietal bones form most of the superior and lateral aspects of the skull.

The occipital condyles articulate with the atlas, the first cervical vertebra.

The crista galli, a bony ridge on the ethmoid bone, serves as the attachment point for the falx cerebri, a dural fold that separates the two cerebral hemispheres.

The lacrimal fossa, a small depression in the lacrimal bone, houses the lacrimal sac, which collects tears before they drain into the nasal cavity.

The mandibular symphysis is the medial fusion point of the two mandibular bones, which forms the lower jaw.

The zygomatic process of the temporal bone contributes to the formation of the zygomatic arch, a bony arch located on the lateral aspect of the skull.

The palatine process of the maxilla forms the anterior hard palate, the roof of the mouth.

The inferior nasal concha, one of three scroll-like bones in the nasal cavity, contributes to the lateral walls of the nasal cavity, increasing its surface area.

The sella turcica, a saddle-shaped depression in the sphenoid bone, houses the pituitary gland, a small but vital endocrine gland controlling various bodily functions.

The foramen magnum, a large opening at the base of the skull, allows passage of the spinal cord from the brain stem into the vertebral canal, connecting the brain to the rest of the body.

The foramen rotundum is located in the medial part of the greater wing of the sphenoid bone.

The foramen ovale is a large, oval foramen posterior to the foramen rotundum, seen in an inferior view of the skull.

The foramen spinosum transmits the middle meningeal artery, providing blood supply to the internal faces of certain cranial bones.

The ethmoid bone lies between the sphenoid and nasal bones, forming the majority of the bony area between the nasal cavity and the orbits, the bony cavities containing the eyes.

The superior surface of the ethmoid bone is formed by the cribriform plates, which help form the roof of the nasal cavity and the floor of the anterior cranial fossa, a region at the front of the brain.

The cribriform foramina, tiny holes in the cribriform plates, allow filaments of the olfactory nerves, responsible for smell, to pass from smell receptors in the nasal cavity to the brain.

The coronal suture is where the parietal bones meet the frontal bone anteriorly, forming the suture line that runs across the top of the skull.

The sagittal suture is where the parietal bones join superiorly at the cranial midline, forming the suture line that runs down the middle of the skull.

The lambdoid suture is where the parietal bones meet the occipital bone posteriorly, forming the suture line at the back of the skull.

The squamous suture is where a parietal and temporal bone meet on the lateral aspect of the skull, forming the suture line on the side of the skull.

The occipital bone forms most of the skull's posterior wall and base, providing support for the brain and spinal cord.

The occipital bone connects to the parietal and temporal bones through the lambdoid and occipitomastoid sutures respectively, forming the joints at the back and sides of the skull.