Bones
The cranial bones consist of spongy bone “sandwiched” between two layers of compact bone.
The outer and inner surfaces of the skull, are covered by periosteum, known respectively as the pericranium and the endocranium.
The periosteum is continuous at the sutures of the skull.
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- Temporal bone. The paired temporal bones consist of a squamous part that forms the lateral portion of the skull; the petrous part, which encloses the internal ear (cochlea and semicircular canals) and the middle ear (malleus, incus, and stapes); the mastoid part, which contains the mastoid air cells; and the tympanic part, which houses the external auditory meatus and tympanic cavity.
- Occipital bone. The occipital bone encloses the foramen magnum, which transmits the spinal cord and vertebral arteries.
- Sphenoid bone. The sphenoid bone consists of a body, which houses the sphenoid sinus, and the greater and lesser wings and the pterygoid processes.
- Ethmoid bone. The ethmoid bone is located between the orbits and consists of the cribriform plate, the perpendicular plate, and the ethmoid air cells.