Skull

Question 1

What two divisions can the skull be divided into?

Answer 1

• cranial skeleton and facial skeleton

- facial skeleton includes the mandible

Question 2

What three layers make up the cranial skeletal bones?

Answer 2

• external table of compact bone
• diploe (middle spongy layer)
• internal table of compact bone

Question 3

What is the a covering AND lining of the skull called?

Answer 3

• periostium

Question 4

What is the outer later (the covering) of the Periosteum called? What about the inner layer (the lining)?

Answer 4

• outer layer = pericranium

- inner layer = endocranium

Question 5

Which 8 bones make up the cranial cavity?

Answer 5

• frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, occipital, temporal (2x), and parietal (2x)

Question 6

Sutures

Answer 6

• immovable joints between most of the bones of the skull

Question 7

Fontanelles

Answer 7

• the gaps between the bones of the skull in a newborn

- these will eventually form sutures

Question 8

What is a persistent frontal suture called?

Answer 8

• metopic suture

- normally, when the frontal bones fuse during childhood, they leave no trace of a suture

Question 9

In the anatomical position, what horizontal plane lines up the lower margins of the orbits and the upper margins of the external acoustic meatus?

Answer 9

• the orbitomeatal plane

Question 10

What is the flattish part of the temporal bone called?

Answer 10

• squamous temporal

- it is on the external part of the skull

Question 11

What is located at the start of the zygomatic arch, just in front of the mandibular fossa?

Answer 11

• the tubercle of the root of the zygoma

Question 12

Which joint is associated with the tubercle of the root of the zygoma?

Answer 12

• the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

Question 13

Which part of the temporal bone makes up the external acoustic meatus?

Answer 13

• the tympanic part

Question 14

What is the top part of the skull called? (The part that is often removable in many models)

Answer 14

• the calvaria or the calvarium

Question 15

Which bones make up the anterior cranial fossa?

Answer 15

• frontal, ethmoid, and sphenoid bones

Question 16

What passes through the cribriform plates of the ethmoid bone?

Answer 16

• the olfactory nerves (cranial nerve 1)

Question 17

Which bones make up the middle cranial fossa?

Answer 17

• the sphenoid and temporal bones

Question 18

What lies in the sella turcica?

Answer 18

• the pituitary gland

Question 19

What four projections surround the sella turcica?

Answer 19

• the clinoid processes (2 anterior and 2 posterior)

Question 20

What lies between the two anterior clinoid processes?

Answer 20

• the chiasmatic groove (for the optic chiasma)

Question 21

The sella turcica actually encompasses the recess AND the four clinoid processes; what is the name of the actual recess itself?

Answer 21

• the hypophysial fossa

- (because the pituitary gland is also known as the hypophysis)

Question 22

Which bones make up the posterior cranial fossa?

Answer 22

• the sphenoid, temporal, parietal, and occipital bones

Question 23

Which parts of the brain are housed in the posterior cranial fossa?

Answer 23

• the hindbrain (cerebellum, pons, medulla oblongata)

Question 24

The inferior orbital fissure opens into what area?

Answer 24

• the infratemporal fossa

Question 25

How many processes does the zygomatic bone have? What are they?

Answer 25

- three processes | - frontal, temporal, and maxillary

Question 26

Palatine Process; What does it form?

Answer 26

- the portion of the maxilla that joins two maxilla bones | - it helps form the hard palate

Question 27

What is the rim of the maxilla that carries the teeth of the upper jaw?

Answer 27

- the alveolar process

Question 28

What passes through the infraorbital foramen?

Answer 28

- the infraorbital nerve and artery

Question 29

T or F: the nasal conchae are separate bones from the ethmoid bone.

Answer 29

- true and false! | - the superior and middle conchae are part of the ethmoid bone, but the inferior conchae is separate

Question 30

What lies beneath the superior conchae/turbinate? The middle conchae/turbinate? The inferior conchae/turbinate?

Answer 30

- the superior meatus - the middle meatus - the inferior meatus

Question 31

Which bones makes up the hard palate?

Answer 31

- the maxilla's palatine processes | - the palatine bones

Question 32

Lingula

Answer 32

- a small tongue of bone of the mandible that "guards" the mandibular foramen

Question 33

The mylohyoid (the main muscle of the floor of the mouth) attaches to what part of the mandible?

Answer 33

- the mylohyoid line/groove

Question 34

Alveolar Margin

Answer 34

- the part of the mandible that holds the teeth of the lower jaw - (don't get confused with the maxilla's alveolar process which holds the teeth of the upper jaw)

Question 35

What passes through the hypoglossal foramen/canals?

Answer 35

- the hypoglossal nerves (cranial nerve XII)

Question 36

What passes through the jugular foramen?

Answer 36

- the jugular vein and cranial nerves IX (glossopharyngeal nerve), X (vagus nerve), and XI (accessory nerve)

Question 37

What passes through the stylomastoid foramen?

Answer 37

- facial nerve (cranial nerve VII)

Question 38

What passes through the carotid canal?

Answer 38

- the internal carotid artery

Question 39

What passes through the foramen lacerum?

Answer 39

- no major structures actually pass through the foramen lacerum - the internal carotid artery passes across the top of the foramen

Question 40

What passes through the foramen spinosum?

Answer 40

- the middle meningeal artery passes through INTO the skull

Question 41

What passes through the optic canals?

Answer 41

- the optic nerves (cranial nerve II)

Question 42

What passes through the internal acoustic meatus?

Answer 42

- the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII) and the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII)

Question 43

List all the Cranial Nerves and the foramina they pass through.

Answer 43

- cribriform plate: olfactory nerve (I) - optic canal: optic nerve (II) - superior orbital fissure: oculomotor nerve (III), trochlear nerve (IV), abducans nerve (VI) - trigeminal nerve (V) (a branch of the trigeminal ganglion; does not pass through a foramen; other branches of the ganglion pass through the foramen rotundum and foramen ovale) - internal acoustic meatus: facial nerve (VII), auditory/vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII) - jugular foramen: glossopharyngeal nerve (IX), vagus nerve (X), spinal accessory nerve (XI) - hypoglossal canal: hypoglossal nerve (XII)