E X E R C IS E

8 REVIEW SHEET
The Axial Skeleton
Name _______________________________________________________ Lab Time/Date ___________________________________

The Skull
1. The skull is one of the major components of the axial skeleton. Name the other two.

bony thorax
____________________________________________________ vertebral column
and ____________________________________________________

What structures does each of these three components of the axial skeleton protect? _____________________________

1. skull protects the brain

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. the bony thorax protects the heart and lungs

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. vertebral column protects the spinal cord
interlocking joints of the skull
2. Define suture: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

3. With one exception, the skull bones are joined by sutures. Name the exception. The mandible or the jaw is attached
_________________________________

by a movable joint.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the four major sutures of the skull, and what bones do they connect?

1. Sagittal suture joins the left and right parietal bones

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Coronal suture joins the parietal and frontal bones

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Squamous suture joins the parietal and temporal bones

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Lambdoid suture joins the parietal and occipital bones

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Name the eight bones composing the cranium.

frontal right temporal left temporal right parietal

left parietal occipital ethmoid sphenoid

1. reduce the weight of the skull to allow the head to be held upright.
6. Give two possible functions of the sinuses. ____________________________________________________________________

2. add resonance to the voice

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. What is the orbit? The bony cavity containing the eye.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Why can the sphenoid bone be called the keystone of the cranial floor? The sphenoid forms a plateau that runs
_________________________________________

across the width of the skull.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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9. Match the bone names in column B with the descriptions in column A. (Some choices may be used more than once.)

Column A Column B

frontal
1. bone forming anterior cranium, or forehead ethmoid

zygomatic 2. cheekbone frontal

maxilla 3. upper jaw hyoid

nasal 4. bridge of nose lacrimal

palantine
5. posterior roof of mouth mandible

parietal
6. bone pair united by the sagittal suture maxilla

temporal
7. site of jugular foramen and carotid canal nasal

sphenoid
8. contains a “saddle” that houses the pituitary gland occipital

lacrimal 9. has an opening that allows tears to pass palatine

maxilla 10. forms most of hard palate parietal

ethmoid 11. superior and medial nasal conchae are part of this bone sphenoid

temporal 12. site of external auditory meatus temporal

sphenoid 13. has greater and lesser wings vomer

ethmoid 14. its “holey” plate allows olfactory fibers to pass zygomatic

maxilla 15. facial bone that contains a sinus

frontal spenoid ethmoid

, , and 16. three cranial bones
containing paranasal sinuses

occipital 17. its oval-shaped protrusions articulate with the atlas

occipital 18. spinal cord passes through a large opening in this bone

hyoid 19. not really a skull bone

mandible 20. forms the chin

vomer 21. inferior part of nasal septum

mandible maxilla
, 22. contain alveoli bearing teeth

ethmoid
23. bears an upward protrusion called the rooster’s comb

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10. Using choices from column B in question 9 and from the key to the right, identify all bones and bone markings pro-
vided with leader lines in the diagram below. (Some terms from the key may not be used.)

alveolar process
Coronal suture Sagittal suture
Nasal
coronal suture
Frontal
foramen magnum

Parietal greater wing of sphenoid

Greater wing inferior nasal concha

of sphenoid
Temporal middle nasal concha of ethmoid

Ethmoid sagittal suture

Lacrimal
squamous suture
Middle nasal
Zygomatic concha of ethmoid
Inferior nasal concha

Vomer
Maxilla

Alveolar process Mandible

The Fetal Skull

No
11. Are the same skull bones present in the adult also found in the fetal skull? ______________________________________

12. How does the size of the fetal face compare to its cranium? The face is smaller in comparison to the cranium of a
____________________________________________________

fetus.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The adult skull is 1/8th total body length, and the fetal skull is 1/4th
How does this compare to the adult skull? ____________________________________________________________________

total body length.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. What are the outward conical projections in some of the fetal cranial bones? They are ossification centers.
____________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A fibrous membrane found between bones of the fetal skull.

14. What is a fontanel? __________________________________________________________________________________________

The fontanels ossify or become bone by around age of 22 months.

What is its fate? __________________________________________________________________________________________

Fontanels allow the brain to grow, and allow the skull to be

What is the function of the fontanels in the fetal skull? _________________________________________________________

compressed during child birth.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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15. Using the terms listed, identify each of the fontanels shown on the fetal skull below.

anterior fontanel mastoid fontanel posterior fontanel sphenoidal fontanel

Anterior fontanel

Sphenodial

Parietal
bone Frontal
bone

Posterior
fontanel

Occipital
bone

Mastoid fontanel

Temporal bone

The Vertebral Column

16. Using the key, correctly identify the vertebral parts/areas described below. (More than one choice may apply in some
cases.) Also use the key letters to correctly identify the vertebral areas in the diagram.

Key: a. body d. pedicle g. transverse process

b. intervertebral foramina e. spinous process h. vertebral arch
c. lamina f. superior articular facet i. vertebral foramen

i 1. cavity enclosing the nerve cord

e
a g
2. weight-bearing portion of the vertebra c h
e g
, 3. provide levers against which muscles pull

a g
, 4. provide an articulation point for the ribs

b 5. opening providing for exit of spinal nerves

f

a h i
, 6. structures that form an enclosure for the
spinal cord
d a

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17. The distinguishing characteristics of the vertebrae composing the vertebral column are noted below. Correctly
identify each described structure or region by choosing a response from the key. (Some choices may be used more
than once.)

Key: atlas coccyx sacrum

axis lumbar vertebra thoracic vertebra
cervical vertebra—typical

cervical vertebra—typical
1. vertebral type with a bifid (forked) spinous process

atlas 2. pivots on C2; lacks a body

thoracic vertebra 3. bear facets for articulation with ribs; form part of bony thoracic cage

sacrum 4. forms a joint with the hip bone

lumbar vertebra 5. vertebra with blocklike body and short, stout spinous process

coccyx
6. “tailbone”

atlas 7. articulates with the occipital condyles

lumbar vertebra 8. five components; unfused

thoracic vertebra 9. twelve components; unfused

sacrum 10. five components; fused

18. Identify as specifically as possible each of the vertebrae types shown in the diagrams below. Also identify and label
the following markings on each: transverse processes, spinous process, body, superior articular processes, as well
as the areas provided with leaders.

Body
Transverse Body Transverse
process process

Superior
articular
process
Spinous
process Costal facet for Vertebral Spinous
head of the rib foramen process

thoracic
_____________________________ cervical
______________________________

Fibrocartilage
19. What kind of tissue makes up the intervertebral discs? _________________________________________________________

a slipped disc; or when the fibrocartilage protrudes from the vertebra

20. What is a herniated disc? _____________________________________________________________________________________

pain and numbness

What problems might it cause? _______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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21. On this illustration of an articulated vertebral column, identify each structure provided with a leader line by using the
key terms.

Key: atlas Atlas

axis
intervertebral disc Axis
two thoracic vertebrae
two lumbar vertebrae
sacrum

Two thoracic
vertebrae

Intervertebral
disc

Two lumbar
vertebrae

Sacrum

The Bony Thorax

sternum
22. The major components of the bony thorax (excluding the vertebral column) are the

ribs
and the .

cone-shaped
23. What is the general shape of the thoracic cage? _______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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24. Using the terms at the right, identify the regions and landmarks of the bony thorax.

b a. body
b. costal cartilage
c. false ribs
d. floating ribs
e. manubrium
e
f. sternum
g. true ribs
h. xiphoid process
g a
f

d
L1 vertebra

A true rib will have its own individual costal cartilage attachment to the
25. Differentiate a true rib from a false rib. ________________________________________________________________________

sternum, and a false rib will attach indirectly to the sternum or not attach at all to the sternum
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A rib that does not attach to the sternum or does not have any sternal attachments.
26. What is a floating rib? _______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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