The document provides information about the axial skeleton, including the cranial and facial bones, vertebrae, sternum, and ribs. It lists the objectives of identifying these bones and their features. Descriptions are given for each bone, including locations of foramina, processes, plates, and other markings. Diagrams are included to illustrate bone positions and key structures.

1. Activity 3:
Axial Skeleton
Chapter 7 – McKinley et al., Human Anatomy, 4e.
Objectives:
• Observe and dissect a fresh long bone from a cow
• Identify the cranial and facial bones and important bone
markings on each
• Identify the vertebrae and other features of the vertebral
column, and important bone markings on each
• Identify ribs and sternum, and important bone markings on
each
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Compilation: Kathryn Watson & Claudia Gonzales
Last Revision: Mohammad Tomaraei

2. Axial Skeleton (green) vs Appendicular Skeleton (yellow)
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3. Axial Skeleton vs Appendicular Skeleton (next activity)
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• Axial Skeleton – forms the long axis of body
• Skull
• Vertebral column
• Thoracic cage
• Appendicular Skeleton – appendages and what they attach to
• Upper limbs (arms)
• Pectoral girdle (shoulder)
• Lower limbs (legs)
• Pelvic girdle

4. Axial Skeleton (green)
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5. Axial Skeleton
5

6. Sutures
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• Largest 4 skull sutures – where cranial bones articulate with each
other
• Coronal suture
• Sagittal suture
• Squamous suture
• Lambdoid suture

7. Sutures
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8. Sutures
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9. Paranasal Sinuses
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• Air-filled chambers named after the bone in which they are
housed
• “Paranasal” because they cluster around and connect to the
nasal cavity

10. Fontanelles
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• Unossified remnants of membranes
• Present at birth
• Anterior fontanelle is the largest
• Called “soft spots”
• Ossify by 1 ½ - 2 years
• Continue to ossify into adulthood
• The sutures can become fused in
old age

11. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Frontal bone
• Supraorbital foramen: supraorbital artery and nerve go through
this foramen
• Frontal sinus: moistens air
• Parietal bones
• Nasal bones

12. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Frontal bone
• Supraorbital foramen: supraorbital artery and nerve go through
this foramen
• Frontal sinus: moistens air
• Parietal bones
• Nasal bones

13. Cranial and Facial Bones
13

14. Cranial and Facial Bones
14
For labeled photographs of the
human skeleton go to this
website:
http://homepage.smc.edu/wissm
ann_paul/bones/EBbonestutorial
.html

15. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Sphenoid bone:
• Greater wing
• Lesser wing
• Sella turcica: houses the pituitary gland
• Optic foramen / canal: contains the optic nerve (CN II)
• Foramen ovale: contains the mandibular branch of the trigeminal
nerve (CN V)
• Foramen rotundum: contains the maxillary branch of the
trigeminal nerve (CN V)
• Foramen spinosum: contains the middle meningeal vessels
• Foramen lacerum

16. Cranial and Facial Bones
16
• Sphenoid bone:
• Superior orbital fissure: contains CN III, the ophthalmic branch
of CN V, and CN VI
• Inferior orbital fissure: contains the maxillary branch of CN V
• Sphenoidal sinus: moistens air
• Lateral and medial plates
• Pterygoid plates

17. Sphenoid Bone
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18. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Ethmoid bone:
• Perpendicular plate: superior part of the nasal septum
• Superior and middle nasal concha(e): increase surface area for
warming and filtering air
• Cribriform plate and foramina: passageway for olfactory nerves
• Crista galli: attachment site for dura mater to skull

19. Ethmoid Bone
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20. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Inferior nasal conchae bones
• Lacrimal bone:
• Lacrimal groove
• Zygomatic bone:
• Temporal process of zygomatic bone: forms anterior portion of
the zygomatic arch (cheekbone)
• Maxilla:
• Infraorbital foramen: passageway to infraorbital artery and
maxillary branch of CN V
• Alveolar processes: contain upper teeth
• Palatine processes: form anterior portion of hard plate
• Incisive foramen (fossa): passageway to branches of
nasopalatine nerve from CN V

21. Cranial and Facial Bones
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22. Maxilla
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23. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Mandible:
• Body
• Ramus
• Alveolar processes: contain lower teeth
• Angle
• Mental foramen: passageway for the mandibular branch of CN V
and blood vessels
• CoroNOID process: insertion point of the temporalis muscle
• Mandibular condyle or condylar process: forms a joint with the
mandibular fossa of the temporal bone
• Mandibular notch

24. Mandible
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25. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Temporal bone:
• Zygomatic process of temporal bone: forms the posterior
portion of the zygomatic arch (cheekbone)
• Squamous region: squamous means flat – flat part of the bone
• Styloid process: attachment for hyoid and tongue muscles
• Mastoid process: insertion for sternocleidomastoid muscle
• External auditory / acoustic meatus: opening of auditory canal
• Petrous part: petrous means rock
• Internal auditory / acoustic meatus: passageway for CN VII and
CN VIII nerves, and blood vessels to inner ear
• Jugular foramen: passageway for internal jugular vein, CN IX,
CN X, and CN XI nerves
• Carotid canal: passageway for internal carotid artery
• Mandibular fossa: forms a joint with mandibular condyle of
mandible

26. Temporal Bone
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27. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Occipital bone:
• Foramen magnum: passageway for spinal cord, vertebral
arteries, and CN XI nerve
• Hypoglossal canal: passageway for CN XII (hypoglossal) nerve
• External occipital protuberance and crest: attachment site for
neck / back muscles
• Occipital condyles: articulate with C1 (atlas)

28. Cranial and Facial Bones
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29. Cranial and Facial Bones
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30. Cranial and Facial Bones
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31. Cranial and Facial Bones
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32. Cranial and Facial Bones
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• Palatine bone:
• Horizontal plates: form posterior portion of the hard palate
• Vomer: forms the inferior part of the nasal septum

33. Cranial and Facial Bones
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34. Cranial and Facial Bones
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35. Cranial and Facial Bones
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36. Skull = Cranial Bones + Facial Bones
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Cranial bones
• Frontal bone
• Parietal bones (paired)
• Sphenoid bone
• Ethmoid bone
• Temporal bones (paired)
• Occipital bone
Facial bones
• Nasal (paired)
• Inferior nasal conchae (paired)
• Lacrimal (paired)
• Zygomatics (paired)
• Maxillae (paired)
• Mandible
• Palatines (paired)
• Vomer

37. Cranial Bones
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parietal
parietal
frontal
temporal
parietal
occipital
_________sphenoid
_______ ethmoid
occipital

38. Vertebrae
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• Typical vertebrae (32):
• Lamina: connects transverse process to spinous process
• Pedicle: connects body to transverse process
• Transverse process: process directed laterally
• Spinous process: process directed posteriorly
• Superior and inferior articular processes: form joints between
adjacent vertebrae
• Vertebral foramen: contains spinal cord
• Body: largest part of the vertebra
• Intervertebral foramen: formed when 2 vertebrae come together;
contains spinal nerves
• Intervertebral disc (not a bone): fibrocartilage found between
adjacent vertebral bodies

39. Vertebrae
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40. Vertebrae
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• Cervical vertebrae (7) – have bifurcated spinous processes
• Transverse foramen: cervical vertebrae have transverse
foramen which contains the vertebral arteries
• Atlas (C1):
• Arch: contains articulation point for dens of C2 (axis)
• Body: C1 has no body – it has become the dens of axis
• Axis (C2):
• Body: has odontoid process (dens)
• Odontoid process (dens): fused body of C1 (atlas);
articulates with atlas
• Vertebra prominens (C7):
• Spinous process: very large and easily felt under the skin

41. Cervical Vertebrae
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42. C1, C2, and C7
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43. Vertebrae
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• Thoracic vertebrae (12):
• Transverse process: on thoracic vertebrae, transverse
processes contain costal facets for articulation with angle of a rib
• Lumbar vertebrae (5)
• Sacrum (5 bones fused):
• Anterior sacral foramina: contain ventral rami of the sacral
spinal nerves
• Posterior sacral foramina: contain dorsal rami of the sacral
spinal nerves
• Median sacral crest: represents fused spinous processes of
sacral vertebrae
• Auricular surfaces: ear-like processes, articulate with the iliac
bones
• Superior articular processes: articulate with inferior articular
processes of L5
• Coccyx (2-3 bones fused):
• Cornu or horns: small horns that point superiorly

44. Thoracic Vertebrae
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45. Lumbar Vertebrae
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46. Sacrum and Coccyx
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47. Sternum and Ribs
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• Sternum:
• Manubrium (top):
• Sternal or jugular notch
• Sternal angle: division between manubrium and body
• Clavicular notch: articulates with clavicles
• Costal notch: articulates with ribs
• Body
• Costal notches: articulates with ribs
• Xiphoid process (bottom): xiphoid means shaped like a sword

48. Sternum
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49. Sternum and Ribs
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• Ribs:
• True ribs (1-7):
• Head (capitulum)
• Neck
• Tubercle
• Angle
• Costal groove
• Shaft (body)
• False ribs (8-12)
• Floating ribs (11-12)

50. Ribs
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