Cranial Bones - The Definitive Guide | Biology Dictionary (2023)

Definition

The cranial bones of the skull are also referred to as the neurocranium. The neurocranium is a group of eight bones that form a cover for the brain and brainstem. The 8 cranial bones are the frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones. Some of these are paired bones.

What Are Cranial Bones?

Cranial bone development starts in the early embryo from the neural crest and mesoderm cells. The cranial bones develop by way of intramembranous ossification and endochondral ossification. Endochondral ossification replaces cartilage structures with bone, while intramembranous ossification is the formation of bone tissue from mesenchymal connective tissue.

The cranial bones of the skull join together over time. They must be flexible as a baby passes through the narrow birth canal; they must also expand as the brain grows in size. The gaps between the neurocranium – before they fuse at different times – are called fontanelles.

Craniosynostosis is the result of the cranial bones fusing too early. Often, only one or two sutures are affected. This causes a misshapen head as the areas of the cranium that have not yet fused must expand even further to accommodate the growing brain.

The 8 cranial bones are the:

  • Frontal bone
  • Parietal bone (x 2)
  • Temporal bone (x 2)
  • Occipital bone
  • Sphenoid bone
  • Ethmoid bone

The sphenoid and ethmoid bones are sometimes categorized as part of the facial skeleton. This is because these bones contribute to both areas.

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Cranial Bones: Anatomy

Cranial bone anatomy can be confusing when we consider the various terms used to describe different areas. The following words are often used incorrectly; this list gives their true meaning:

  • Skull or cranium: all bones of the head, from the top of the head to the hyoid bone (tongue bone). The cranium is the sum of the cranial and facial bones, as well as the bony part of the larynx.
  • Neurocranium: the top part of the skull that covers and protects the brain.
  • Viscerocranium: the bottom part of the skull that makes up the face and lower jaw.
  • Chondrocranium or cartilaginous neurocranium: so-called because this area of bone is formed from cartilage (endochondral ossification). More descriptive terms include skull base and cranial floor.
  • Cranial vault, calvaria/calvarium, or skull-cap. Together, the cranial floor and cranial vault form the neurocranium

The front of the cranial vault is composed of the frontal bone. This bone forms the ridges of the brows and the area just above the bridge of the nose called the glabella. The frontal bone extends back over the curved line of the forehead and ends approximately one-third of the way along the top of the skull.

This single bone articulates (joins) with the nasal bones, some orbit bones, and the zygomatic bone. At the side of the head, it articulates with the parietal bones, the sphenoid bone, and the ethmoid bone.

The two parietal bones continue the shape of the cranial vault; these are quadrilateral, smooth, and curved bony plates. They articulate with the frontal, sphenoid, temporal, and occipital bones, as well as with each other at the top of the head (see the final image in the five views below).

The sides of the neurocranium are formed by the parietal, temporal, and sphenoid bones. The temporal bone provides surfaces for both the cranial vault and the cranial floor. It articulates with the mandible by way of a synovial joint. Each temporal bone has sutures with a greater wing of the sphenoid bone and its neighboring parietal bone.

The sphenoid is occasionally listed as a bone of the viscerocranium. However, it also provides important structures at the side and base of the neurocranium. The irregularly-shaped sphenoid bone articulates with twelve cranial and facial bones.

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The ethmoid bone, also sometimes attributed to the viscerocranium, separates the nasal cavity from the brain. Like the sphenoid, it is very irregular in shape. It articulates with fifteen cranial and facial bones.

The final bone of the cranial vault is the occipital bone at the back of the head. The occipital bone – located at the skull base – features the foramen magnum. This is a large hole that allows the brain and brainstem to connect to the spine.

Cranial Bone Anatomy: Internal Surface

If you separate the cranial bones from the facial bones and first cervical vertebra and remove the brain, you would be able to view the internal surfaces of the neurocranium.

The midsagittal section below shows the difference between the relatively smooth upper surface and the bumpy, grooved lower surface. The picture also helps us to view the cranial vault in its natural position; the cranial floor is at a distinct angle, starting at the level of the frontal sinus and continuing at an angle to include the small pocket that contains the cerebellum. You can see this small indentation at the bottom of the neurocranium.

The inner surface of the vault is very smooth in comparison with the floor. It does feature a few bumps and grooves. For example, the frontal crest – a notch of bone just behind the frontal sinus. The frontal crest is an attachment point for a fold in the membranes covering the brain (falx cerebri).

Just above the occipital bone and close to the midline of the skull cap are the parietal foramina. Just as with all foramina, important blood vessels and nerves travel through them. They are not visible in the above image.

A vertical groove passes through the middle of the cranial vault – the sagittal groove or sulcus – that provides space for the superior sagittal sinus (part of the drainage mechanism for cerebrospinal fluid and blood). The raised edge of this groove is just visible to the left of the above image.

Below, the position of the various sinuses shows how adept the brain is at removing waste products and extra fluid from its extremely delicate tissues.

(Video) Skull bones, sutures and landmarks

At the back of the skull cap is the transverse sulcus (for the transverse sinuses, as indicated above).

The cranial floor is much more complex than the vault.

Looking down onto the inner surface of the skull base, the first thing you notice is a series of divisions. These form indentations called the cranial fossae. In the cranial vault, there are three:

  • Anterior cranial fossa: houses the frontal lobe, olfactory bulb, olfactory tract, and orbital gyri (intellectual and emotional expression)
  • Middle cranial fossa: a butterfly-shaped indentation that houses the temporal lobes, features channels for ophthalmic structures, and separates the pituitary gland from the nasal cavity
  • Posterior cranial fossa: contains the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata; the point of access between the brain and spinal canal

The inner surface of the skull base also features various foramina. These include the foramen cecum, posterior ethmoidal foramen, optic foramen, foramen lacerum, foramen ovale, foramen spinosum, jugular foramen, condyloid foramen, and mastoid foramen. And let’s not forget the largest of them all – the foramen magnum. A separate Biology Dictionary article discusses the numerous cranial foramina.

Cranial floor grooves provide space for the cranial sinuses that drain blood and cerebrospinal fluid from the lower regions of the meninges (dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater), the cerebrum, and the cerebellum.

Cranial Bone Sutures

The neurocranium has several sutures or articulations. The first four in the following list are the most important:

  • Coronal suture: between the two parietal bones and the frontal bone
  • Sagittal suture: between the left and right parietal bones
  • Lambdoidal suture: between the top of the occipital bone and the back of the parietal bones
  • Metopic suture: only found in newborns between the two halves of the frontal bone that, once fused (very early in life), become a single bone
  • Squamous suture: between the temporal and parietal bones
  • Sphenosquamous suture: vertical join between the greater wings of the sphenoid bone and the temporal bones.
  • Frontoethmoidal suture: very short suture between the orbital projections of the frontal and ethmoid bones
  • Petrosquamous suture: refers to the join between the petrous and squamous parts of the temporal bone, close to the middle ear and at the skull base
  • Sphenoethmoidal suture: between the sphenoid and ethmoid bones
  • Sphenopetrosal suture: joins the greater wing of the sphenoid bone with the petrous part of the temporal bone

Cranial and Facial Bones

Cranial and facial bones slightly overlap according to textbook sources. Some books include the ethmoid and sphenoid bones in both groups; some only in the cranial group; some only in the facial group.

None of these sources are wrong; these two bones contribute to both the neurocranium and the viscerocranium.

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It is, therefore, perfectly acceptable to list them in both groups. This source does not include the ethmoid and sphenoid in both categories, but is also correct.

As we should now be very aware, the 8 cranial bones are the:

  • Frontal bone (1)
  • Parietal bones (2)
  • Temporal bones (2)
  • Occipital bone (1)
  • Sphenoid bone (1)
  • Ethmoid bone (1)

The facial bones are the:

  • Sphenoid bone (1 – depending on the source)
  • Ethmoid bone (1 – depending on the source)
  • Maxillae (2 – sometimes considered to be 1 fused bone)
  • Mandible (1 – sometimes considered to be 2 fused bones)
  • Zygomatic bones (2)
  • Nasal bones (2)
  • Palatine bones (2)
  • Inferior nasal conchae (2)
  • Lacrimal bones (2)
  • Vomer (1)

Cranial Bone Fractures

Neurocranium or cranial bone fractures are most likely to occur at a weak spot called the pterion. This refers to an almost H-shaped group of sutures that join the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, the temporal bone, the frontal bone, and the parietal bone at both sides of the head, close to the indentation behind the outer eye sockets.

As one of the meningeal arteries lies just under the pterion, a blow to the side of the head at this point often causes an epidural hematoma that exerts pressure on the affected side of the brain. This can occur in up to 85% of pterion fracture cases. Treatment often requires the placement of hollow tubes (drains) under the skull to allow this blood to drain away.

Bibliography

Show/Hide

  • Ribas GC. (2018). Applied Cranial-Cerebral Anatomy: Brain Architecture and Anatomically Oriented Microneurosurgery. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
  • Natali AL, Reddy V, Leo JT. (Updated April 2020). Neuroanatomy, Middle Meningeal Arteries. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519545/
  • Lanfermann H, Raab P, Kretschmann H-J, Weinrich W. (2019). Cranial Neuroimaging and Clinical Neuroanatomy: Atlas of MR Imaging and Computed Tomography, Fourth Edition. New York, Thieme.
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FAQs

What are the cranial bones and what are their functions? ›

There are eight cranial bones in the skull that surround and protect the brain, which include the sphenoid bone, the ethmoid bone, the frontal bone, the occipital bone, the temporal bones, and the parietal bones. These cranial bones, together, form the cavity of the brain and help form the orbits and nasal cavity.

What is the definition of cranial bones? ›

(KRAY-nee-um) The bones that form the head. The cranium is made up of cranial bones (bones that surround and protect the brain) and facial bones (bones that form the eye sockets, nose, cheeks, jaw, and other parts of the face).

What are the bones of the cranium quizlet? ›

cranium protects the brain and it composed of 8 bones: frontal bone, 2 parietal bones, an occipital bone, 2 temporal bones, a shenoid bone, and an ethmoid bone.

How many bones are in the cranial bones? ›

The skull (22 bones) is divisible into two parts: (1) the cranium, which lodges and protects the brain, consists of eight bones (Occipital, Two Parietals, Frontal, Two Temporals, Sphenoidal, Ethmoidal) and the skeleton of the face, of fourteen (Two Nasals, Two Maxillae, Two Lacrimals, Two Zygomatics, Two Palatines, Two ...

What are cranial bones made of? ›

The cranial bones include the frontal bone, a parietal bone on each side, a temporal bone on each side, the occipital bone, the ethmoid bone, and the sphenoid bone. These bones come together at joints called sutures, which help eliminate movement of the skull's bones.

How are the cranial bones classified? ›

Bones of the cranium are classified as (d) flat bones. This is because, as the name suggests, the bones are flat in appearance. The cranium contains 8 flat bones which include the parietal bones, frontal, temporal, occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.

What is the structure of the cranium? ›

The cranium is formed by eight bones, the paired parietal and temporal bones plus the unpaired frontal, occipital, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The sagittal suture joins the right and left parietal bones.

What are the 8 bones of the cranium left and right? ›

The bones of the cranium include the frontal bone (1), parietal bones (2, one right and one left), temporal bones (2, one right and one left), occipital bone (1), sphenoid bone (1), and ethmoid bone (1). These bones enclose and protect the cranial cavity that contains the brain.

Where are the 8 cranial bones located? ›

The eight bones of the cranium form the “vault” that encloses the brain. They include the frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, sphenoid and ethmoid bones.

Which are functions of cranial bones quizlet? ›

What are the functions of the cranial bones of the facial bones? - They protect the brain. Facial bones form the framework of the face and protect and provide support for the nerves and blood vessels in that area.

What is the largest cranial bone? ›

However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, these two parts are the neurocranium and the viscerocranium (facial skeleton) that includes the mandible as its largest bone.
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Skull
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Anatomical terminology
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Is there an easy way to remember the cranial nerves with a mnemonic? ›

Remembering cranial nerve names in order of CN I to CN XII: On old Olympus's towering top a Finn and German viewed some hops. Ooh, ooh, ooh to touch and feel very good velvet.

How many cranial bones are there in the brain? ›

There are 22 bones in the skull, eight of which protect and surround the brain. The other 14 bones form our facial structure.

Where do cranial bones come from? ›

What Are Cranial Bones? Cranial bone development starts in the early embryo from the neural crest and mesoderm cells. The cranial bones develop by way of intramembranous ossification and endochondral ossification.

How many pairs of cranial bones are there? ›

The cranium comprises eight bones, including the paired temporal and parietal bones and the unpaired occipital, frontal, ethmoid and sphenoid bones.

Which cranial bone is unique? ›

The sphenoid bone is an unpaired bone of the neurocranium. It is situated in the middle of the skull towards the front, in front of the basilar part of the occipital bone. The sphenoid bone is one of the seven bones that articulate to form the orbit.

Do cranial bones move? ›

Our data indicate that although the cranial bones move apart even with small (nominally 0.2 ml) increases in ICV, total cranial compliance depends more on fluid migration from the cranium when ICV increases are less than approximately 3% of total cranial volume.

What are the 4 main cranial bones? ›

It is one of the largest landmarks of the skull. The frontal bone, sphenoid bone, parietal bone, and temporal bone all contribute to the concavity of the fossa.

How many cranial bones are there in the skull *? ›

Introduction. The skull (also known as cranium) consists of 22 bones which can be subdivided into 8 cranial bones and 14 facial bones. The main function of the bones of the skull along with the surrounded meninges, is to provide protection and structure.

Are there 8 pairs of cranial nerves? ›

The cranial nerves are a set of 12 paired nerves in the back of your brain. Cranial nerves send electrical signals between your brain, face, neck and torso. Your cranial nerves help you taste, smell, hear and feel sensations.

How many craniofacial bones are there? ›

The skull consists of 22 bones in most adult specimens, and these bones come together via cranial sutures. The function of the skull is both structurally supportive and protective. The skull will harden and fuse through development to protect its inner contents: the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and orbits.

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