What are the bones of the head

Although the skull is often thought of as a single unit or part of the human body, the reality is that the head is made up of many different bones that make up the skull or skull, whose main function is to protect the brain (brain, cerebellum and spinal bulb). However, many times it would be difficult to get to mention all the bones of the head. If you want to know what the bones of the head are, keep reading and we'll tell you.

Why are there so many bones in the head?

The main reason for the presence of so many bones in the head is to protect the brain . Because of this, most of the bones of the head may look like a rounded box whose main goal is to isolate the brain from the outside world. However, the brain must be in constant communication with this external world, which means that the skull can not be a uniform and perfectly isolated box.

In fact, if we think in the head, we will realize that, with the exception of the touch that extends throughout the skin, all other senses are located in it (sight, hearing, smell and taste). This causes the skull to have certain openings through which the brain can communicate with the different organs that make up the senses, as well as with the rest of the body.

In addition, both the mouth and the nose, are inputs to the body that are located in the skull but have nothing to do with the brain, but with the respiratory and digestive system respectively. In this way, because we can not have a hermetic skull, it is necessary to treat a fairly complex bone structure that allows communication of the brain with the outside, as well as the performance of other activities necessary for life such as eating and eating. breathe.

The main bones of the head

The main bones of the head are the following:

Frontal

It is one of the largest bones of the entire head and, as its name suggests, it is the bone that occupies the part corresponding to the forehead, so it extends from the upper part of the eye sockets to the entrance front and the area where the hair starts.

Parietal

This bone is the largest that has the head and occupies the top of the head. It extends from the front edge and reaches almost to the end of the back of the head.

Occipital

It is the third bone that would complete the basic structure of the head after the frontal and the parietal. It is located in the back of the head, near the nape of the neck. In fact, it extends through the base of the skull, and is the one that connects the skull to the spine.

Temporary

We have two temporal bones, one on each side. It is the bone that is below the ear, and holds the parietal and the occipital together.

Sphenoids

This bone has a smaller size than those mentioned so far. It can be understood as a continuation of the temporal that unites this with the frontal and with the front of the skull, which corresponds to the face.

Zygomatic

It is the continuation of the sphenoid, linking the frontal bone with the maxilla around the external parts of the eyes.

Nasal

His name refers to the nose. It is located in the highest part of this and, basically, joins the frontal bone with the maxilla in the upper part of the nose.

Lacrimal

Its name comes from tear, since it is the bone that is located in the inner part of the eye sockets, right where the tear glands are that allow us to cry.

Maxillary

It is the bone that closes the front of the skull through the upper part of the mouth.

Jaw

It corresponds to the lower part of the mouth, joins both sides with the temporal bone and, thanks to its mobility, we can open and close the jaw, which allows us to eat and drink to speak.

Other bones of the head

Although the bones mentioned above are the bones that make up the skull, the truth is that there are other smaller bones that, de facto, are also located in the head. A good example of these bones of the head would be the teeth, which are only small bones located as extensions of the maxillary bone and jaw and which are responsible for chewing.

Another example would be the bones of the ear (hammer, anvil and stirrup), which are located in the middle ear and which are responsible for the vibrations of the sound coming from the eardrum to the inner ear.