GLOSSARY

The skull is the bony skeleton of the head, protecting the brain, housing the sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, and tongue), and forming the framework of the face; the adult skull consists of 22 bones (excluding the ear ossicles).

Parts

• Neurocranium: 8 bones: the frontal, two parietal, two temporal, occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid, protecting the brain.
• Viscerocranium (facial skeleton): 14 bones, including the maxillae, mandible, zygomatic, and nasal bones.
• Mandible: the only movable bone of the skull (via the temporomandibular joint).

Characteristics