• support and contain the brain
• house the special senses
• protection of brain to some degree
• isolates the cerebral circulation
• barrier against stresses due to large masticatory and axial musculature
• bony orbit maintains the position of the eye during rotations which is necessary for binocular vision
• bony fixation of semicircular canals necessary for their function

• frontal eminance
• superciliary arch
• glabella
• supraorbital notch/foramen
• zygomatic process

rounded elevation over medial orbit

median elevation connecting the superciliary arches

small process for articulation with the zygomatic bone

• parietal eminance (tuberosity)
• superior temporal line
• inferior temporal line

small elevation near center of bones

 curved line for attachment of temporal fascia

curved line for attachment of temporalis muscle

junction of coronal and sagittal sutures is called the _____

junction of coronal and sagittal sutures is called the bregma

the suture between the parietal bones and the occipital bone is called the _____

the suture between the parietal bones and the occipital bone is called the lambdoid suture

junction of sagittal suture and lambdoid suture is called the ____

junction of sagittal suture and lambdoid suture is called the lambda

• external occipital protuberance (inion)
• superior nuchal line
• inferior nuchal line
• external occipital crest
• hypoglossal canal - contains hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
• foramen magnum
• articular condyles

• squamous part
• petrous part
• zygomatic process
• mandibular fossa
• mastoid process
• external-internal acoustic meatus - internal and lateral views
• styloid process - external base view
• stylomastoid foramen - external base view

• Body:  internal base view
• optic groove
• optic foramen (canal)
• sella turcica
• pituitary fossa (hypophysial)
• Greater wing:  internal base view
• foramen rotundum
• foramen ovale
• foramen spinosum
• lesser wings
• superior orbital fissure
• pterygoid process (medial and lateral pterygoid plates) - external base view

Cribiform plate 

crista galli

• nasal bones
• maxilla
• lacrimal bones
• zygomatic bones
• palatine bones
• inferior nasal conchae
• vomer
• mandible

• body: infra-orbital foramen
• zygomatic process
• frontal process
• alveolar process
• palatine process - external base view

• body
• mental protuberance
• mental foramen
• ramus
• angle of mandible
• coronoid process
• condylar process with head
• mandibular notch

anterior cranial fossa

middle cranial fossa

posterior cranial fossa

• less than the anterior third of the base
• floor constitutes the roof of the orbit
• lesser wings of the sphenoid form posterior part
• frontal lobes of the brain located here

• houses anterior portion of temporal lobes
• floor is formed by the greater wing of sphenoid and petrous portion of the temporal bone
• in midline is the sella turcica

• largest and deepest fossa
• formed largely by the occipital bone
• houses the cerebellum

• optic canal - optic nerve (CN 2)
• superior orbital fissure - occulomotor nerve (NC 3), trochlear nerve (CN 4), ophthalmic nerve (CN V1), abducens nerve (CN V1)
• foramen rotundum - maxillary nerve (CN V2)
• foramen ovale - mandibular nerve (CN V3)
• foramen spinosum - middle meningeal artery
• foramen lacerum - cartilage

• foramen magnum - spinal cord, vertebral arteries
• jugular foramen - glossopharyngeal nerve (CN 9), vagus nerve (CN 10), accessory nerve (CN 11)
• hypoglossal canal - hypoglossal nerve (CN 12)
• internal acoustic meatus - facial nerve (CN 7), vestibulocochlear nerve (CN 8)

• supra-orbital foramen - supra-orbital nerve and vessels (V1)
• infra-orbital foramen - infra-orbital nerve and vessels (v2)
• mental foramen - mental nerve and vessels (V3)
• mandibular foramen - branch of trigeminal (V3)
• inferior orbital fissure - maxillary nerve (V2)
• stylomastoid foramen - facial nerve (CN 7)