What are the cranial bones
Emily Dawson
Published Apr 08, 2026
The eight bones of the cranium form the “vault” that encloses the brain. They include the frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, sphenoid and ethmoid bones.
What is a palatine bone?
The Adult Palatine. The palatine bones contribute to the posterior part of the roof of the mouth and floor and lateral walls of the nose, the medial wall of the maxillary sinuses and the orbital floors. Each bone (Fig. 5-66) consists of horizontal and perpendicular plates (laminae) set at right angles to each other.
What is a ethmoid bone?
The ethmoid bone is an unpaired cranial bone that is a significant component of the upper nasal cavity and the nasal septum. The ethmoid bone also constitutes the medial orbit wall.
Where is the cranial?
The cranial cavity, also known as intracranial space, is the space within the skull that accommodates the brain. The skull minus the mandible is called the cranium. The cavity is formed by eight cranial bones known as the neurocranium that in humans includes the skull cap and forms the protective case around the brain.Is the ethmoid bone a facial bone?
1 ethmoid bone; located behind the upper nasal cavity and in front of the brain; sometimes not included in the list of facial bones as it is also part of the neurocranium; articulates with the frontal, sphenoid, nasal, maxilla, lacrimal, palatine, and vomer bones and with the inferior nasal concha.
What is Palatine process?
Medical Definition of palatine process : a process of the maxilla that projects medially, articulates posteriorly with the palatine bone, and forms with the corresponding process on the other side the anterior three-fourths of the hard palate. — called also palatal process.
Is the palatine bone part of the orbit?
The floor of the orbit consists of three bones: the maxillary bone, the palatine bone, and the orbital plate of the zygomatic bone. This part of the orbit is also the roof of the maxillary sinus.
Which of the following is not a cranial bone?
Which bone is NOT considered to be part of the cranium? The lacrimal bone is a tiny bone found in the medial portion of the orbit. It is a facial bone, not part of the cranium.Which are parts of the ethmoid bone?
The ethmoid bone is an anterior cranial bone located between the eyes. It contributes to the medial wall of the orbit, the nasal cavity, and the nasal septum. The ethmoid has three parts: cribriform plate, ethmoidal labyrinth, and perpendicular plate.
What are the 14 facial bones called?The names of the 14 facial bones are: inferior nasal concha (2 of them,) lacrimal bones (2), mandible, maxilla (2), nasal bones (2), palatine bones (2), vomer, and zygomatic bones, or zygoma (2).
Article first time published onIs the ethmoid bone the deepest cranial bone?
The ethmoid bone forms the central part of the floor, which is the deepest area of the anterior cranial fossa. In the center of this region is the cribriform plate, through which the olfactory tracts pass. The fovea ethmoidalis, or the roof of the ethmoid cavity, continues laterally from the cribriform plate.
What bone is posterior to the ethmoid bone?
C, The ethmoid bone articulates posteriorly with the body of the sphenoid to form part of the medial orbital wall, septum, and roof of the nose.
Is the ethmoid bone a flat bone?
The bones that form the top and sides of the brain case are usually referred to as the “flat” bones of the skull. The brain case consists of eight bones. These include the paired parietal and temporal bones, plus the unpaired frontal, occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
What are the 22 cranial and facial bones?
The skull (22 bones) is divisible into two parts: (1) the cranium, which lodges and protects the brain, consists of eight bones (Occipital, Two Parietals, Frontal, Two Temporals, Sphenoidal, Ethmoidal) and the skeleton of the face, of fourteen (Two Nasals, Two Maxillae, Two Lacrimals, Two Zygomatics, Two Palatines, Two …
What are the 7 facial bones?
Facial Bones. The viscerocranium (face) includes these bones: vomer, 2 inferior nasal conchae, 2 nasals, maxilla, mandible, palatine, 2 zygomatics, and 2 lacrimals.
Where is the orbital process of palatine bone?
Anatomical terms of bone The orbital process of the palatine bone is placed on a higher level than the sphenoidal, and is directed upward and lateralward from the front of the vertical part, to which it is connected by a constricted neck. It presents five surfaces, which enclose an air cell.
How are palatine bones formed?
Each bone consists of a horizontal and perpendicular plate forming an L-shape. There are three processes, the pyramidal, orbital and sphenoidal. They make structural contributions to the hard palate, nasal cavity, orbital floor and pterygopalatine fossa.
Where is the greater palatine foramen?
The greater palatine foramen is located at a level approximately equal to the distal surface of the maxillary fourth premolar tooth and midway between the palate midline and dental arch. The major palatine artery, vein, and nerve exit this foramen and course along the length of the palate in the palatine sulcus.
What are the surfaces of the perpendicular plate of the palatine bone which is the medial one?
Anatomical terms of bone The perpendicular plate of palatine bone is the vertical part of the palatine bone, and is thin, of an oblong form, and presents two surfaces and four borders.
Which feature of the palatine bone articulates with the maxilla to form the posterior portion of the bony palate?
Markings of the Palatine Bone: Horizontal Plate: A horizontal projection that articulates with the palatine process of the Maxilla; forms the posterior portion of the hard palate (or roof of the mouth / floor of the nasal cavity). [Sagittal view/ Inferior view]
Which are parts of the ethmoid bone quizlet?
- Ethmoid bone.
- Cribiform plate.
- Cribiform foramina. the holes inside the Cribiform plate.
- Crista Galli. the line between the cribiform plate.
- Perpendicular plate. Line between the nose cavity.
- Middle nasal concha.
Which is not part of the ethmoid bone?
What bony feature is NOT part of the ethmoid bone? … The sella turcica is a saddle-shaped bony prominence. In the center of the sella turcica is the hypophyseal fossa, which houses the pituitary gland (a.k.a. hypophysis).
How do you identify the ethmoid bone?
The ethmoid bone is a cube-shaped bone located in the center of the skull between the eyes. It helps form the walls of the eye socket, or orbital cavity, as well as the roof, sides, and interior of the nasal cavity. Very light and sponge-like in texture, the ethmoid bone is one of the most complex bones of the face.
Is temporal a cranial bone?
The temporal bones are two major bones in the skull, or cranium. They help form the sides and base of the skull, where they protect the temporal lobe of the brain and surround the ear canal. The other major bones in the skull are: the two parietal bones that make up the top of the skull.
What joins the palatine bone to the maxilla?
The median palatine suture connects the horizontal plates of the palatines. It is the posterior continuation of the intermaxillary suture. The transverse palatine suture adheres the palatine process of the maxillary bone to the palatine bone.
What is the weakest bone in the body?
Clavicle: Clavicle, or collar bone, is the body’s softest and weakest bone. It is easy to break since it is a thin bone that runs horizontally between your breastbone and shoulder blade.
What is the largest bone of the head?
The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, these two parts are the neurocranium and the viscerocranium (facial skeleton) that includes the mandible as its largest bone.
Is the ethmoid bone paired or unpaired?
9. Ethmoid (Unpaired)– this is hard to see, it is behind the eyes and nose, helping to form the back wall of the eye orbits. 10. Lacrimal (Paired)– 2 bones, one inside each eye orbit, close to the nasal bones.
Is the vomer part of the ethmoid bone?
The vomer forms the inferior part of the nasal septum, with the superior part formed by the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone. The name is derived from the Latin word for a ploughshare and the shape of the bone.
Is the inferior nasal concha part of the ethmoid bone?
The inferior nasal conchae are a pair of bones, with one concha on either side, that separates the middle and lower nasal meatus, or nasal cavity. … While the superior and middle nasal conchae are technically part of the ethmoid bone, the inferior nasal concha forms a completely separate bone.
Between which bones enclosed ethmoid bone?
The upper surface of the anterior cranial base is formed by the frontal bones which roof the orbits, the ethmoid bone which is interposed between the frontal bones and is the site of the cribriform plate, and the lesser wings and anterior part of the body of the sphenoid which form the posterior part of the floor of …