Cranial Bones Flashcards

Identify the eight cranial bones and examine their anatomical landmarks, articulations, sutures, foramina, and relationships to the brain.

Card 1 of 30Question

How many bones form the adult neurocranium?

Eight bones: four unpaired and two paired sets.

In This Section

1. How many bones form the adult neurocranium?

Eight bones: four unpaired and two paired sets.

2. Which four cranial bones are unpaired?

The frontal, occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.

3. Which two cranial bones occur as bilateral pairs?

The parietal and temporal bones.

4. What are the two major anatomical divisions of the neurocranium?

The calvaria, or cranial vault, and the cranial base.

5. Which cranial bone forms the forehead and most of the roof of the orbits?

The frontal bone.

6. Which air-filled cavities are located within the frontal bone?

The frontal paranasal sinuses.

7. Which cranial bones form most of the superior and lateral walls of the cranial vault?

The paired parietal bones.

8. Which cranial bone forms most of the posterior cranial wall and part of the cranial base?

The occipital bone.

9. Which large opening is located in the occipital bone?

The foramen magnum.

10. Which structures on the occipital bone articulate with the atlas?

The paired occipital condyles.

11. Which cranial bones contain the structures of the middle and inner ears?

The paired temporal bones.

12. What are the four major parts of the temporal bone?

The squamous, petrous, mastoid, and tympanic parts.

13. Which temporal bone projection provides attachment for the sternocleidomastoid muscle?

The mastoid process.

14. Which temporal bone projection provides attachment for the stylohyoid ligament?

The styloid process.

15. Which cranial bone is commonly described as the keystone of the cranial base?

The sphenoid bone.

16. What are the major anatomical parts of the sphenoid bone?

The body, paired greater wings, paired lesser wings, and paired pterygoid processes.

17. Which depression in the sphenoid bone accommodates the pituitary gland?

The hypophyseal fossa within the sella turcica.

18. Which cranial bone contributes to the nasal septum, nasal cavity, and medial orbital walls?

The ethmoid bone.

19. Which part of the ethmoid bone transmits olfactory nerve fibers?

The cribriform plate, through its numerous small foramina.

20. What is the crista galli of the ethmoid bone?

A midline bony projection providing attachment for the falx cerebri.

21. Which suture joins the frontal bone to the parietal bones?

The coronal suture.

22. Which suture joins the two parietal bones along the midline?

The sagittal suture.

23. Which suture joins the parietal bones to the occipital bone?

The lambdoid suture.

24. Which suture joins the parietal bone to the squamous part of the temporal bone?

The squamous suture.

25. What is the bregma?

The junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures.

26. What is the lambda?

The junction of the sagittal and lambdoid sutures.

27. What is the pterion?

The lateral skull region where the frontal, parietal, temporal, and sphenoid bones meet.

28. Which artery is particularly vulnerable to injury from a fracture near the pterion?

The anterior branch of the middle meningeal artery.

29. What are the three principal layers of the cranial vault bones?

An outer table of compact bone, a middle diploic layer, and an inner table of compact bone.

30. What is craniosynostosis?

Premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, potentially altering skull growth and shape.