skull

"Cranium" redirects here. For other uses, see Cranium (disambiguation).

This article is about the skull. For symbolic or mythic uses of the human skull, see skull (symbolism). For other uses of the word skull, see skull (disambiguation).

The skull or cranium is a bony structure found in many animals which serves as the general framework for the head. Those animals having skulls are called Craniates. The skull supports the structures of the face and protects the brain against injury. Protection of the brain is only one part of the function of a bony skull. For example, a fixed distance between the eyes is essential for stereoscopic vision, and a fixed position for the ears helps the brain to use auditory cues to judge direction and distance of sounds. The skull also serves as a mount for the teeth and jaws, to permit eating, and in some animals (e.g. horned ungulates) it has a defensive function: the frontal bone is where horns are mounted.

Animal skulls

Human skulls

Main article: Human skull

In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 29 bones. Except for the mandible, all of the bones of the skull are joined together by sutures, rigid articulations permitting very little movement.

Eight bones form the neurocranium (braincase), a protective vault of bone surrounding the brain and medulla oblongata. Fourteen bones form the splanchnocranium, the bones supporting the face. Encased within the temporal bones are the six ear ossicles of the middle ear. The hyoid bone, supporting the larynx, is usually not considered as part of the skull, as it does not articulate with any other bones.

The skull also contains the sinus cavities, which are air-filled cavities lined with respiratory epithelium, which also lines the large airways. The exact functions of the sinuses are unclear; they may contribute to lessening the weight of the skull with a minimal reduction in strength, or they may be important in improving the resonance of the voice. In some animals, such as the elephant, the sinuses are extensive. The elephant skull needs to be very large, to form an attachment for muscles of the neck and trunk, but is also unexpectedly light; the comparatively small brain-case is surrounded by large sinuses which reduce the weight.

The meninges are the three layers, or membranes, which surround the structures of the central nervous system. They are known as the dura mater, the arachnoid mater and the pia mater. Other than being classified together, they have little in common with each other.

In humans, the anatomical position for the skull is the Frankfurt plane, where the lower margins of the orbits and the upper borders of the ear canals are all in a horizontal plane. This is the position where the subject is standing and looking directly forward. For comparison, the skulls of other species, notably primates and hominids, may sometimes be studied in the Frankfurt plane. However, this does not always equate to a natural posture in life.

See also

• Bone terminology
• Anatomical terms of location
• Great muscles of the head (cat)
• Head and neck anatomy
• Phrenology, the pseudoscientific process of determining personality from the shape of the head.

References

• White, T.D. 1991. Human osteology. Academic Press, Inc. San Diego, CA.

External links

• Animal Skull Collection (A U.S. high-school teacher's labour of love: more than 300 animal skull images.)
• Site with pictures of various animal skulls (commercial supplier)
• Skull terminology site by Texas A&M
• Anatomy of cranial cavity.