n. the skeleton of the head and face, which is made up of 22 bones. It can be divided into the cranium, which encloses the brain, and the face (including the lower jaw (mandible). The cranium consists of eight bones. The frontal, parietals (two), occipital, and temporals (two) form the vault of the skull (calvaria) and are made up of two thin layers of compact bone separated by a layer of spongy bone (diploë). The remaining bones of the cranium – the sphenoid and ethmoid – form part of its base. The 14 bones that make up the face are the nasals, lacrimals, inferior nasal conchae, maxillae, zygomatics, and palatines (two of each), the vomer, and the mandible. All the bones of the skull except the mandible are connected to each other by immovable joints (see suture). The skull contains cavities for the eyes (see orbit) and nose (see nasal cavity) and a large opening at its base (foramen magnum) through which the spinal cord passes. See illustration overleaf.... skull
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