The skull consists of the rounded brain case that houses the brain and the facial bones that form the upper and lower jaws, nose, orbits, and other facial structures. What is the skull? Your skull is the part of your skeleton that holds and protects your brain.

Understanding the Context

It also holds or supports several of your main sensory organs, like your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and more. The skull’s medical name is the cranium. The skull forms the frontmost portion of the axial skeleton and is a product of cephalization and vesicular enlargement of the brain, with several special senses structures such as the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and, in fish, specialized tactile organs such as barbels near the mouth. Skull, skeletal framework of the head of vertebrates, composed of bones or cartilage, which form a unit that protects the brain and some sense organs.

Key Insights

The skull includes the upper jaw and the cranium. Learn more about the anatomy and function of the skull in humans and other vertebrates. A collection of 22 bones, the skull protects the all-important brain and supports the other soft tissues of the head. During fetal development, the bones of the skull form within tough, fibrous membranes in a fetus' head. The skull is one of the most vital bony structures of the human body, as it houses and protects the most important organs, including the brain.

Final Thoughts

There are 29 bones (including the hyoid and middle ear bones) that comprise the skull and give shape to the head. The Skull: Names of Bones in the Head, with Anatomy, & Labeled Diagram The human skull consists of 22 bones. This is your guide to understanding the structure, features, foramina and contents of the human skull.