For Providers -- Atlas of Human Anatomy

The bones of the skull, lateral view.

Translated by: Ronald A. Bergman, PhD and Adel K. Afifi, MD, MS
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

A) Frontal bone.
B) Parietal bone.
C) Temporal bone.
D) Sphenoid bone, greater wing.
E) Zygomatic bone.
F) Maxilla.
G) Nasal bone.
H) Mandible.

a) Frontal eminence (ossification center).
b) Superciliary arch (covered by m. corrugator supercilii).
d) Glabella (the frontal sinus behind).
e) Supraorbital margin (covered by the external stratum of m. orbicularis palpebrarum).
f) Superorbital fissure (in some skulls, a foramen) (passage for supraorbital artery, vein, and nerve).
g) Zygomatic process.
h) Temporal line.
i) Semicircular line (the boundry of the planum semicircular from which m. temporalis originates).
k) Coronal suture.
l) Parietal eminence.
m) Temporal bone, squamous part (origin of m temporalis).
n) Temporal bone, mastoid part.
o) Temporal bone, mastoid process.
p) Mastoid notch or groove.
q) External auditory meatus.
r) Zygomatic arch (zygomatic process of the temporal bone) (origin of mm.masseter and attrahens auriculae and temporozygomatic suture).
s) Zygomatic bone, temporal process.
t) Zygomatic bone, frontal process (frontozygomatic suture).
u) Zygomatic bone, maxillary process.
v) Zygomaticoorbital foramen (passage for zygomaticofacial nerve of the cheek).
w) Maxilla bone, zygomatic process.
x) Maxillary depression (origin of the m. levator anguli oris).
y) Infraorbital foramen.
z) Maxillary tuberosity.

1. Frontal process or superior maxillary nasal bone.
2. Alveolar process of the maxillary bone, with the alveolar eminences.
3. Pterygoid process, lateral ala (wing).
4. Body of mandible.
5. Spine or external mental protuberance.
6. Mental foramen (exit of inferior alveolar canal, passage for mental artery, vein and nerve).
7. Lateral oblique line (attachment site for buccinator muscle).
8. Alveolar margin with alveolar ridge.
9. Mandibular angle.
10. Coronoid process of the mandible.
11. Mandibular Condylar process.
12. Mandibular notch.
13. Pyriform aperture.
14. Anterior nasal spine.
15. Fossa for the lacrymal sac.
16. Squamous suture.
17. Mastoid suture.
18. Transverse suture.