Parts of Skull Bones
- frontal sinus (air cavity that opens into the nasal cavity)
- coronal suture (joint between frontal and parietal bones)
- sagittal suture (joint between the two parietal bones)
- squamosal suture (joint between temporal and parietal bone)
- external auditory meatus (the ear canal)
- mastoid process (oval projection behind the ear canal)
- mastoid sinus (air cavity that opens into the middle ear)
- mandibular fossa (oval depression anterior to the ear canal – articulates with mandible)
- foramen magnum (large opening for the spinal cord)
- condytes (oval projections on either side of foramen magnum that articulates with the atlas)
- lambdoidal suture (joint between occipital and parietal bones)
- greater wing (flat, lateral portion between the frontal and temporal bones)
- sella turcica (central depression that encloses the pituitary gland)
- sphenoid sinus (air cavity that opens into the nasal cavity)
- ethmoid sinus (air cavity that opens into nasal cavity)
- crista galli (superior projection for attachment of meninges)
- cribriform plate and olfactory foramina (on either side of base of crista galli – olfactory nerves pass through foramina)
- perpendicular plate (upper part of nasal septum)
- conchae - four are part of ethmoid and two inferior are separate bones (shelf-like projections into nasal cavities, which increase surface area of nasal mucosa)
- body (U-shaped portion with lower teeth)
- condyles (oval projections that articulate with the temporal bones)
- sockets (conical depressions that hold roots of lower teeth)
- maxillary sinus (air cavity that opens into nasal cavity)
- palatine process (projection that forms anterior part of hard palate)
- sockets (conical depressions that hold roots of upper teeth)
Lacrimal
- lacrimal canal (opening for nasolacrimal duct to take tears to nasal cavity)
Palatine bones form the posterior part of the hard palate.
Vomer forms the lower part of the nasal septum.
See also: Axial Skeleton.
This page was updated in November 2005.
