Diagram of Human Mouth and Throat (Cut View)

Mandible

The mandible (lower jawbone) consists of a horizontal horseshoe-like body with a flat "ramus" projecting upward at each end. The rami are divided into two processes: the "mandibular condyle" and a front "coronoid process." The mandibular condyles unite with the mandibular tissues of the temporal bones, while the coronoid processes serve as attachments for muscles used in chewing. Other large chewing muscles are attached on the side surfaces of the rami.