The Axial Skeleton
The Axial Skeleton
• Consists of the skeletal structures found
along the midline of the body.
• Includes the skull, hyoid, vertebrae, ribs,
sternum, and sacrum.
• The cartilages associated with these bones
also contribute to the axial skeleton.
• The ribs, sternum, and thoracic vertebrae
form a structure called the bony thorax.
The Skull
• Consists of 22 bones.
• Grouped into the cranial bones and the
facial bones.
• Cranial bones (or cranium) enclose the
brain.
• Facial bones form the structure of the face.
The Cranium
Parietal Frontal
• Consists of 8 bones.
• Includes the frontal
bone, the two parietal
bones, the two
temporal bones, the
occipital bone, the
sphenoid bone, and the Occipital
ethmoid bone. Temporal
Sphenoid
The Cranium
Ethmoid
• The ethmoid bone is
visible in this view.
• This is a view of the
inside of the cranial
cavity with the top of
the cranium removed.
The Facial Bones
Nasal Lacrimal
Inf. nasal conchae
• Consist of 14 bones, 12 of
which are paired.
• Includes the maxillae, the
palatine bones, the
zygomatic bones, the
lacrimal bones, the nasal
bones, the inferior nasal
conchae, the mandible,
and the vomer.
• Only the mandible and Vomer
Zygomatic
vomer are unpaired. Mandible Maxilla
The Facial Bones
Palatine
• The palatine bone is
visible in this view.
• This is a view of the
underside of the skull
with the mandible
removed.
The Cranial Sutures
A suture
• The bones of the skull
articulate with each
other by joints called
sutures.
• We will only be
concerned with the
sutures of the cranium.
The Cranial Sutures
Coronal suture
• The joint between the
frontal bone and the
parietal bones is the
coronal suture.
• Corona is Latin for
crown. The coronal
suture traverses the
crown of the skull.
The Cranial Sutures
Squamosal suture
• The joint between
each parietal bone and
the corresponding
temporal bone is the
squamosal suture.
• Squamous means flat,
and the overlapping
portions of each bones
is a large, flat shelf.
The Cranial Sutures
Occipitomastoid suture
• The joint between the
occipital bone and the
mastoid process of
each temporal bone. Is
the occipitomastoid
suture.
The Cranial Sutures
Sagittal suture
• The joint between the
left and right parietal
bones is the sagittal
suture.
• The sagittal suture
follows the sagittal
plane of the skull.
The Cranial Sutures
Lambdoid suture
• The joint between the
left and right parietal
bones and the occipital
bone is the lambdoid
suture.
• This suture is named
for its resemblance to
the Greek letter
lambda, which looks
like this - Λ.
The Orbits
Frontal
• The orbits, or eye- Sphenoid Ethmoid
sockets, are formed by
Zygomatic
seven bones.
• These are the frontal,
the sphenoid, the
zygomatic, the Lacrimal
maxillary, the
Palatine
lacrimal, the ethmoid,
and the palatine. Maxillary
The Paranasal Sinuses
• Four sets of bones in the skull (maxillae,
frontal, sphenoid, and ethmoid), contain
cavities called sinuses.
• The sinuses are air-filled, mucous
membrane lined spaces within each bone.
• The sinuses communicate with the nasal
cavity via openings called ostia.
The Paranasal Sinuses
• The maxillary sinuses
are the largest.
• The sinuses lighten the
bones of the face and
provide resonance
chambers for the
voice.
The Paranasal Sinuses
• Inflammation of the
sinuses, or sinusitis,
results from allergy or
infection.
• Blockage of the ostia
results in the
formation of a partial
vacuum within the
cavity, causing pain.
The Hyoid Bone
• The hyoid is located in
the throat superior to
the larynx.
• It is the only bone that
does not articulate
with any other bone.
• It serves as a site of
attachment for many
muscles of the tongue
and neck.
The Vertebral Column
• The vertebral column
is composed of 24
bones and five types
of vertebrae.
• The five types are
cervical, thoracic,
lumbar, sacral, and
coccyx.
The Vertebral Column
• There are 7 cervical
vertebrae, 12 thoracic
vertebrae, 5 lumbar
vertebrae, 5 sacral
vertebrae (fused), and
4 coccygeal vertebrae
(fused).
The Typical Vertebra
• The typical vertebra
has 4 main features.
• The body (centrum)
faces the anterior side
of the column.
• The vertebral arch
faces the posterior side
of the column.
The Typical Vertebra
• The body and arch
together form the
vertebral foramen.
• The vertebral foramina
of all of the vertebra
forms the spinal
cavity.
The Typical Vertebra
• The processes
(transverse, spinous,
and articular) project
from the vertebral
arch.
• Variations in these
features will help
distinguish each type
of vertebra.
The Cervical Vertebra
• The primary
distinguishing features
of the cervical
vertebrae are the
transverse foramina.
• The transverse
foramina form the
passages for the
vertebral arteries.
The Cervical Vertebra
• The vertebral foramen
is triangular in C3 –
C7.
• The spinous process is
bifurcated in C2 – C6.
• The cervical vertebrae
tend to be smaller and
lighter than other
vertebrae.
The Atlas
• The first cervical
vertebra (C1) is called
the atlas.
• The atlas lacks a body.
• It has two large
superior articular
processes to receive Superior articular processes
the occipital condyles
of the skull.
The Axis
Odontoid process
• The second cervical
vertebra (C2) is called the
axis.
• The superior portion of
the body of the axis is
modified into an odontoid
process (dens).
• The odontoid process
articulates with the atlas.
The Thoracic Vertebrae
• The primary
distinguishing feature
of the thoracic
vertebrae are the costal
demifacets.
• The surfaces articulate
with the heads of the
ribs
The Thoracic Vertebrae
• The inferior demifacet
of one vertebra, and
the superior demifacet
of the next inferior
vertebrae together
receive the head of a
single rib.
The Thoracic Vertebrae
• The first 11 thoracic
vertebrae (T1 – T11)
also have an articular
facet on the transverse
process for the
tubercle of a rib.
• The twelfth thoracic
vertebra lacks this
facet.
The Thoracic Vertebrae
• The spinous process of
the typical thoracic
vertebra is long and is
angled sharply
downward.
The Thoracic Vertebrae
• The vertebral foramen
tends to be oval or
round.
• The thoracic vertebrae
form the posterior
portion of the bony
thorax.
The Lumbar Vertebrae
• The lumbar vertebrae
tend to be larger and
heavier than other
vertebrae.
• The spinous process
tends to be blunt and
square.
The Lumbar Vertebrae
• The primary
diagnostic feature of
the lumbar vertebrae is
that they lack the
features of the other
vertebrae (transverse
foramina and costal
demifacets).
The Sacrum
• The sacrum consists of
five vertebrae that fuse
together during
development.
• Together with the
innominate bones it
forms the bony pelvis.
The Bony Thorax
• The bony thorax
consists of the ribs,
sternum, costal
cartilages, and
thoracic vertebrae.
• It encloses and
protects the internal
organs of the thoracic
cavity.
The Sternum
• The sternum consists
of three parts that fuse
together during
development
(sometimes
incompletely)
• They are the
manubrium, the body,
and the xiphoid
process.
The Sternum
• The xiphoid process
tends to ossify with
age, but in most
younger people it is
still cartilage.
• The sternum
articulates with the
ribs via the costal
cartilages.
The Ribs
• There are 12 pairs of ribs,
which are divided into 3
categories.
• The true ribs (1-7) each
have their own cartilage
joining them to the
sternum.
• The false ribs (8-12) share
or lack a cartilage joining
them to the sternum.
The Ribs
• The last two ribs (11,
12) are the floating
ribs.
• The floating ribs lack
a connection to the
sternum.
• Floating ribs are a
subcategory of false
ribs.
The Ribs
• A typical rib has a head,
an neck, a tubercle, an
angle, and a shaft.
• The head articulates with
the costal demifacets of
two thoracic vertebrae.
• The tubercle articulates
with the transverse facets
of a single thoracic
vertebra.
General Considerations
• Study the bones and bone markings listed
on your structure list.
• Use not only the diagrams in your manual,
but also the bones in class.
• You will be not be required to learn right
from left for the axial skeleton.
• You will not be required to identify the
disarticulated skull bones.
General Considerations
• On the exam, make sure that you provide
the full name for a bone or bone marking,
especially if there is more than one of a
particular structure.
• For example, styloid process (or just
styloid) is not enough. You must specify
styloid process of the radius (or ulna, or
temporal bone).
General Considerations
• Finally, do not point to the bones with the
tip of a pen or pencil. Use a mall probe.
• It is too easy to inadvertently mark a bone,
and the marks are extremely difficult to
clean off.
• Anyone caught deliberately marking on a
bone will have their highest quiz grade
converted to a zero.
