Bones of the Head and Neck
Anatomy Terms
- Acromioclavicular Ligament
- Anterior Longitudinal Ligament
- Bones of the Ear
- Bregma
- C1 (Atlas) - 1st Cervical Vertebra
- C2 (Axis) - 2nd Cervical Vertebra
- C3 (3rd Cervical Vertebra)
- C4 (4th Cervical Vertebra)
- C5 (5th Cervical Vertebra)
- C6 (6th Cervical Vertebra)
- C7 (7th Cervical Vertebra)
- Capsular Ligament of the Shoulder
- Carotid Canal
- Choanae
- Clavicle
- Conoid Ligament
- Coracoacromial Ligament
- Coracohumeral Ligament
- Coronal Suture
- Coronoid Process
- Costal Cartilage
- Costoclavicular Ligament
- Ethmoid Bone
- Ethmoidal Air Cells
- External Acoustic Meatus
- External Occipital Protuberance
- Foramen Magnum
- Foramen Ovale
- Fossa of Lacrimal Sac
- Frontal Bone
- Glabella
- Groove for Middle Temporal Artery
- Head of Condylar Process
- Humerus
- Hyoid Bone
- Hypoglossal Canal
- Inferior Temporal Line
- Infraorbital Foramen
- Interclavicular Ligament
- Intertransverse Ligaments
- Intervertebral Discs
- Lacrimal Bone
- Lambda
- Lambdoid Suture
- Mandible
- Mandibular Fossa
- Mastoid Foramen
- Mastoid Process
- Maxilla
- Maxillary Sinus
- Median Palatine Suture
- Mental Foramen
- Nasal Bone
- Oblique Line
- Occipital Bone
- Occipital Condyle
- Parietal Bone
- Parietal Foramen
- Radiate Ligaments
- Sagittal Suture
- Scapula
- Sella Turcica
- Skull
- Sphenoid Bone
- Sternum
- Subdeltoid Bursa
- Subscapular Bursa to Shoulder Joint
- Superior Temporal Line
- Superior Transverse Scapular Ligament
- Supraorbital Notch
- Supraspinous Ligament
- T1 (1st Thoracic Vertebra)
- T2 (2nd Thoracic Vertebra)
- T3 (3rd Thoracic Vertebra)
- T4 (4th Thoracic Vertebra)
- Teeth
- Temporal Bone
- Temporal Styloid Process
- Transverse Ligament of Humerus
- Trapezoid Ligament
- True Ribs
- Vomer
- Zygomatic Bone
- Zygomaticofacial Foramen
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Full Bones of the Head and Neck Description
[Continued from above] . . . The skull rests on the first vertebra, which is called the atlas. At birth, the skull is large in comparison to the rest of the body, and a baby's skull is compressible. The soft spots in a baby's head harden and grow together until the bones meet and mesh like a jigsaw puzzle.
Another important bone in the skeletal system of the head and neck is the hyoid bone. It's closely associated with the skull but isn't a part of it. It anchors muscles, especially those of the tongue. The auditory ossicles are also bones in the head. They form a bridge connecting the eardrum to the inner ear and function to transmit vibrations between these parts.
The first vertebra (atlas) supports and balances the head. The seven cervical vertebrae comprise the bony axis of the neck. Without these important bones in the head and neck, the brain and other significant nerves and muscles would not be protected, nor would the head be able to stay upright.