L5 & L6 - Skull I and II

Question 1

The skull: how many bones does it contain, what regions are there, and what does it do?

Answer 1

22 bones in the adult cranium, plus the 6 bones of the middle ear and the mandible

Neurocranium - protects the brain
Viscerocranium - forms the face

• Protects the brain and the organs of special sense (eye, ear, nose, tongue)
• Provides openings for passage of food and air
• Houses teeth for mastication

Question 2

Bones of the neurocranium

Answer 2

Frontal bone

Parietal bone (x2) - separated by a central saggital suture

Temporal bone (x2) - separated from the parietal bones by squamous suture

Occipital bone - most posterior bone, separated by a lambdoid suture

Sphenoid bone (x2) - separated from temporal and frontal bones by a squamous suture

Ethmoid bone - separated from the frontal bone by a frontoethmoidal suture

Question 3

Bones of the neurocranium

Answer 3

Mandible - jaw

Maxilla (x2) - naso-oral-orbital area (an unofficial term I just made for the area between the nose, eyes, and mouth)

Zygomatic bone (x2) - cheekbones

Vomer - central nasal bone, connected to ethmoid bone

Nasal bone (x2) - most superficial bones of the nose

Inferior nasal concha (x2) - most inferior bones of the nose

Palatine (x2) - bridge the vomer and maxilla

Lacrimal (x2) - between ethmoid and maxilla

Question 4

Lacrimal gland: what is it and what does it do?

Answer 4

Bilobed, tear-shaped gland

Primary function of secreting the aqueous portion of the tear film