CraniuM

SkuLL

Dr. M. Danış AYGÜN

Pamukkale Üniversitesi
Anatomi A.D.

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-Mevlana
Cranium
•The human skull is formed by 22 bones, excluding the 3 ossicles of the ear - the incus, malleus and stapes.

•Most of the bones of the skull are immobile and are attached to each other by sutures to form the cranium,
except for the mandible, which is mobile and connected to the skull at the temporomandibular joints. 

•The bones of the skull include:

•Frontal bone
•Sphenoid
•Temporal bones (2)
•Parietal bones (2)
•Occipital bone
•Ethmoid bone
•Zygomatic bones (2)
•Lacrimal bones (2)
•Palatine bones (2)
•Inferior nasal conchae (2)
•Maxillae (2)
•Vomer
•Nasal bones (2)
•Mandible
Cranium
https://
www.kenhub.com/en/study/anatomy-skull-bones
• The human skull consists of two main parts:
Neurocranium
• The neurocranium encloses the brain (including the cerebral hemispheres and 
brainstem) and sensory organs connected to the brain.
Viscerocranium
• The viscerocranium is the part of the skull situated anteriorly from the
neurocranium. It forms the facial skeleton and supports the soft tissue of the face.
• The paired bones of the facial skeleton are:
• Maxilla
• Zygomatic bone
• Palatine bone
• Lacrimal bone
• Nasal bone
• Inferior nasal concha

• The unpaired facial bones include:

• Vomer
• Mandible
Os Frontale
The frontal bone has four parts:
•Squamous part
•Orbital part (2)
•Nasal part
Os Temporale
•Each temporal bone consists of four parts:
•Petrous part
•Mastoid part
•Tympanic part
•Squamous part

•The temporal bone houses important

structures of the vestibulocochlear
apparatus, including the external acoustic
meatus, the tympanic cavity, as well as the
structures of the inner ear. Also, many 
cranial nerves go through the temporal
bone, as well as temporal bone contains
many openings and canals going through it.
It also serves as an attachment site for
muscles, and it participates in forming the 
temporomandibular joint.
 
 Squamous part of temporal bone

The temporal surface is the outer surface of the squamous

part of the temporal bone that contributes to forming the 
temporal fossa. The temporal surface also serves as an
attachment site for the temporal muscle.
•It features the following structures:
•Zygomatic process - an extension of the temporal bone in
the anterior direction; together with the temporal process
of the zygomatic bone it contributes to the formation of
the zygomatic arch, which is an attachment site for the 
masseter muscle;
•Mandibular fossa - a depression below the 
zygomatic process for the head of the mandible;
•Articular tubercle - a cylindrical elevation located in front
of the mandibular fossa.
•The mandibular fossa and articular tubercle both are
structures articulating at the temporomandibular joint.

Cerebral surface
•The cerebral surface is the inner surface of the squamous
part that features the typical landmarks of the inner surface
of the skull:
•Impressions of the cerebral gyri - flat indentations
corresponding to the cerebral gyri (temporal lobe of the 
cerebrum) which produce them;
•Arterial grooves - produced by pressure from arteries,
primarily by the middle meningeal artery and its branches.
•The cerebral surface participates in formation of the 
middle cranial fossa.
Mastoid part of temporal bone
following landmarks:
•Mastoid process, containing the:
– Mastoid notch - a medial notch on the inferior surface of the mastoid process; it
is the origin of the posterior belly of the digastric muscle;
•Groove for occipital artery - a sulcus located medial to the mastoid notch;
•Mastoid foramen - an opening behind the mastoid process that provides additional
venous drainage from the cranial cavity.
•The internal surface of the mastoid part contains groove for the sigmoid sinus.
•Several muscles are attached to the mastoid process such as the sternocleidomastoid, 
longissimus and splenius capitis muscles.
Tympanic part of temporal bone
•relatively small part situated inferior to the squamous part, anterior to the mastoid part, and
superior to the styloid process. It has a curved plate shape, and it forms the walls of the 
external auditory (acoustic) meatus.
•The external acoustic pore leads into the external acoustic meatus as it is the external orifice of the
meatus.
•The tympanic part presents with a gap called the petrotympanic fissure. It stretches from the 
temporomandibular joint to the tympanic cavity and serves as a passage for the facial nerve (CN VII)
 to the infratemporal fossa, as well as the chorda tympani (a branch of the facial nerve) running
through and joining the lingual nerve. The anterior tympanic artery and tympanic veins also pass
through this fissure.
 Petrous part of temporal bone
•(also called the pyramid) is the part of the
temporal bone which houses the inner ear.
It is located in the base of the skull
 between the sphenoid bone and the 
occipital bone.
•This part is pyramid-shaped, with an apex
 and three surfaces (anterior, posterior,
inferior) and three margins (anterior,
superior, posterior). The petrous part also
houses the tympanic cavity and structures
of the inner ear.
Ethmoid bone
•The ethmoid bone is an unpaired bone of the skull that contributes to the medial
wall of the orbit, and the nasal cavity, including the nasal septum.
The ethmoid bone has four parts:
•Cribriform plate
•Perpendicular plate
•Ethmoidal labyrinth (2)
 Occipital bone
•The occipital bone is a single trapezoidal-shaped bone that forms the base of the skull
 and consists of four parts surrounding the foramen magnum
•The occipital bone is the most posterior located bone of the skull enclosing the 
cerebellum. This bone articulates with the vertebral column at the atlanto-occipital joint.
•The parts of the occipital bone are the following:
•Basilar part
•Lateral part (2)
•Squamous part
Parietal bone
The parietal bone is a paired bone located on each side of the skull behind the frontal
bone.
Both parietal bones together form most of the calvaria.
Each parietal bone has an irregular convex quadrilateral shape with four angles, four
margins and two surfaces.
 Parietal bone
•The internal surface of the parietal bone is concave and features:
•Groove for the superior sagittal sinus - a shallow depression along the sagittal margin
 (continuous on the frontal, parietal, and occipital bones) forming a channel for the superior
sagittal sinus; its margins come together as it passes downward and become continuous with the
frontal crest;
•Granular foveolae (singular: foveola) - small pits located along the superior sagittal sinus;
arachnoidal granulations are lodged in the pits;
•Groove for the sigmoid sinus - located in the posterior cranial fossa near the mastoid
angle; found on the lateral part of the occipital bone, then curving around the jugular process on
the mastoid part of the temporal bone, and, finally, turning sharply on the inner surface of the 
parietal bone and continues as the transverse groove;
•Impressions of the cerebral gyri - flat indentations on the inner surface of the skull
corresponding to the cerebral gyri which produce them;
•Arterial grooves - located on the inner surface of the skull produced by pressure from arteries,
primarily the middle meningeal artery and its branches.
 Sphenoid bone
•is a butterfly-shaped single bone that lies at the middle part of the base of the skull
 between the frontal, temporal and occipital bones.
parts:
•Body of the sphenoid - the central portion;
•Greater wings (2) and lesser wings (2) - extend laterally from the body;
•Pterygoid processes (2) - descend from the junction of the body and greater wings.
 Maxilla
The maxilla is a paired bone containing an air-filled cavity.
Maxillae are parts of the viscerocranium of the skull. It has a central body and four processes.
The two maxillary bones (maxillae) are fused in the midline by the intermaxillary suture to form the upper
jaw. The fusion of the two maxillae creates a projection called the anterior nasal spine, which is the
anterior point of the upper jaw that serves as a cephalometric landmark.
Each maxilla has five parts, including the body of the maxilla and four processes:
1.Frontal process
2.Zygomatic process
3.Palatine process
4.Alveolar process
 Maxilla
• Zygomatic bone
• The zygomatic bone, also known as the zygoma, cheekbone, or malar bone, is an irregular-
shaped paired facial bone situated on the anterior lateral part of the face under the
lateral aspect of the orbit.
• It takes part in forming the lateral aspect and the floor of the orbit, and both
the temporal and infratemporal fossae, as well as participates in the formation of the 
zygomatic arch. Therefore it forms the prominence of the cheek and gives a contour to
the face.
• The zygomatic bone has three processes, three surfaces, three openings and five borders.
• The zygomatic bone articulates with the four bones listed below:
• Maxilla 
• Temporal bone 
• Sphenoid bone
• Frontal bone
• The palatine bone is a thin paired bone that primarily participates in forming the hard palate.
Therefore it also forms a small part of the floor of the nasal and the roof of the oral cavities, as
well as participates in forming the pterygopalatine and pterygoid fossae and the orbit.
• It is located between maxillae and sphenoid bone .
• Each palatine bone is located in the posterior part of the nasal cavity and consists of two plates:
• Horizontal plate -  forms the posterior portion of both the hard palate and the floor of the nasal
cavity;
• Perpendicular plate - the vertical part, which forms part of the medial wall of the maxillary sinus
 and part of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity; it is located anterior to the medial plate of the
pterygoid process; it also separates the nasal cavity from the pterygopalatine fossa.
 Lacrimal bone
•The lacrimal bone is a paired rectangular-shaped bone that lies anteriorly in the medial wall of the 
orbit between the frontal process of the maxilla and the ethmoid bone. It is the smallest bone of the
ones forming the skull.
•Each lacrimal bone has two surfaces - lateral and medial, and four borders - anterior, posterior, 
superior and inferior.
Nasal bone
•The nasal bone is a paired bone of the skull forming the anterior wall of the nasal cavity.
•These bones are quite variable in size and form among individuals, but they are usually rectangular-
shaped. 
•The superior parts of these bones form the bridge of the nose and articulate with the frontal bone,
while the inferior aspects connect with the nasal cartilages (with the upper lateral cartilages). The 
medial borders are both connected to each other. The lateral border of the nasal bones articulate
with the frontal processes of the maxillae.
•Sometimes nasal bones contain small openings called nasal foramina.
Inferior nasal concha
•The inferior nasal concha is a paired bone in the form of a horizontally curved plate
situated in the lateral wall of the nasal cavity.
•It is located in the sagittal plane. Its superior border is connected to the maxilla and 
palatine bone. The inferior nasal concha also articulates with the lacrimal and 
ethmoid bones. It separates the middle nasal meatus from the inferior nasal meatus.
• The vomer is an unpaired sagittal-oriented and trapezoid-shaped midline bone that forms the bony nasal septum
 along with the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone. 
• The vomer forms the posterior inferior part of the bony septum. 
• The posterior part of the superior aspect of the vomer contains two thickened wings or alae. Both wings are
separated by a deep groove in the midline between them. They are attached to the sphenoid bone.
• The perpendicular plate of the vomer extends downward from the midline of the superior surface below the wings.
• The vomer articulates with the following structures:
• Posterosuperiorly - with the body and the rostrum of the sphenoid;
• Anterosuperiorly - with the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone;
• Anteroinferiorly - with the palatine process of the maxilla;
• Posteroinferiorly - with the horizontal plates of the palatine bones;
• Anteriorly - with the nasal cartilages.
• The posterior border of the vomer contains a curve and a free edge. It divides the posterior nasal aperture into two
divisions.
The mandible is the only movable cranial bone. It is a single bone connected to the skull at the temporomandibular joint
 on each side. The same as the maxilla, it is also a part of the viscerocranium. It forms the lower jaw.
•The mandible has three parts:
•Body of the mandible
•Ramus of the mandible (paired)
 
Body of mandible
•The body of the mandible is located in the anterior part of the lower jawbone. 
•It has a curved shape and can be subdivided into two smaller parts: 
•Base of the mandible
•Alveolar process of the mandible
•The body of the mandible has two surfaces (external and internal) and two borders (superior or alveolar and inferior).
Alveolar process of mandible
•The alveolar process of the mandible is the superior portion of the body of the mandible that
surrounds and supports the lower teeth. An alveolar process is a crested process of upper or lower
jaw that houses the teeth.
•The curved free margin of the alveolar process is called the alveolar arch.
•The alveolar arch of the mandible (as the alveolar arch formed by the maxillae) features the
following structures:
•Dental alveoli - sockets in the alveolar process where the roots of the teeth lie;
•Interalveolar septa - bony ridges between adjacent dental alveoli;
•Interradicular septa - bony ridges forming compartments in dental alveoli for the roots of the
teeth;
•Alveolar yokes (juga alveolaria) - eminences on the outer surface of the jaw produced by the
projections of the dental alveoli.
Hyoid bone
•The hyoid bone is a single "U" shaped bone situated in the anterior part of the neck and at the root of the
tongue between the lower jaw and the thyroid cartilage. It is located anteriorly at the base of the mandible, and
posteriorly to it is the fourth cervical vertebra (C4).
•The hyoid bone is the only bone in the human body that does not directly articulate with other bones.
•It is attached to the skull with the help of ligaments, and it is held in its place mostly by these two muscle
groups - the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles. The suprahyoid muscles are located above the hyoid bone,
while the infrahyoid - below. The hyoid bone is a convergence place for a bunch of muscles.
 
•The main parts of the hyoid bone are the following:
•Body of hyoid 
•Lesser horn (2)
•Greater horn (2)
• Sutures of skull
• The bones of the skull are separated from each other by sutures - small spaces filled with
fibrous tissue (mostly collagen), most of which eventually fuse. In other words, sutures
are immobile and fixed fibrous joint types, and they are also classified as synarthroses.
• Some sutures of the calvaria have specific names. Cranial sutures fuse with advancing age,
whereas facial sutures usually remain open. 
Some of the main sutures of the skull are listed below:
•Sagittal suture - in the midline, between the parietal bones;
•Coronal suture - between the frontal bone and the parietal bones;
•Lambdoidal suture - between the parietal bones and the occipital bone;
•Squamosal suture - between the temporal and parietal bones;
•Metopic suture - between the frontal bones, goes down from the midline of the frontal bones; rarely seen in
adults because it fuses in childhood; there may be a remnant at the glabella;
•Sphenosquamous suture - between the sphenoid bone and anterior border of the squamous part of the
temporal bone;
•Sphenofrontal suture - between the sphenoid and frontal bones;
•Parietomastoid suture - between the parietal bone and the mastoid part of the temporal bone;
•Sphenoparietal suture - between the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and the parietal bone;
•Occipitomastoid suture - between the occipital bone and the mastoid part of the temporal bone.