Skull

Skull Overview:
- The skull has a total of 22 bones, divided into:
  - Cranial bones (8): form the protective layer “cranium” around the brain.
  - Facial bones (14): shape the face and support sensory structures.
- Major labeled bones include:
  - Frontal (anterior), Parietal, Temporal, Occipital (posterior), Sphenoid (houses pituitary gland), Ethmoid, Lacrimal, Nasal, Zygomatic (cheekbone), Maxillae, and Mandible (jawbone).
- The Foramen magnum is a large opening at the skull base allowing the medulla and spinal cord to connect.
- The Hyoid bone is U-shaped, located at the base of the buccal cavity — not part of the skull but attached to it.
Ear Ossicles:
- Six tiny bones (3 per ear) — Malleus (hammer-shaped), Incus (anvil-shaped), and Stapes (stirrup-shaped) — located in the middle ear.
- They amplify sound from the external to the inner ear.
Pectoral Girdle:
- Each side has two bones — clavicle and scapula.
- Clavicle (collarbone): long, slender bone with two curvatures; connects medially to the sternum and laterally to the scapula’s acromion process.
- Scapula: flat, triangular bone on the dorsal thorax (between 2nd and 7th ribs), featuring a ridge and expanded acromion process that articulates with the clavicle.