Sources and coverage

What this unit covers, and where

Every reference card and every item of the unit's scope, the concept it carries, and the place where you learn and practise it. Reference material and original practice are labelled separately.

Netter 1-1 (PDF p. 9–10)2Skull, anterior view: frontal, nasal, lacrimal, zygomatic and temporal bones, maxilla and mandible; supraorbital notch or foramen, infraorbital and mental foramina; 8 cranial and 14 facial bones; 29 bones with the ossicles and hyoid; Le Fort fracture lines3 Maxilla (Le Fort lines); 5 Openings of the face, jaw and palate.Practise in 2 Twenty-two bones; 2 knowledge check; Point to the bone (section 6)
Netter 1-2 (PDF p. 11–12)3Skull, lateral view: parietal, sphenoid, lacrimal, zygomatic, occipital and temporal bones, maxilla; coronal and lambdoid sutures; pterion and asterion; middle meningeal artery deep to the pterion and extradural hematoma; types of skull fracture5 Follow one structure (middle meningeal artery); The Missing Arrow (pterion).Practise in 3 Sutures, bregma, lambda and the pterion; 3 knowledge check; unit synthesis (a blow to the temple)
Netter 1-3 (PDF p. 13–14)4Skull, midsagittal section: sphenoid with the sella turcica and sphenoidal sinus, frontal sinus, perpendicular plate of the ethmoid, vomer, palatine bone, palatine process of the maxilla; the nasal septum; petrous part and the earThe card lists the palatine bones among the parts of the septum; the unit teaches two bony parts (see the source notes).Practise in 4 The nasal cavity; 4 knowledge check (nasal septum)
Netter 1-4 (PDF p. 15–16)4Lateral wall of the nasal cavity: superior and middle conchae of the ethmoid, the separate inferior nasal concha, palatine bone (perpendicular and horizontal plates), pterygoid plates, lacrimal and nasal bones; the hard palate; the route to the pituitary gland through the sphenoidal sinus4 The hard palate.Practise in 4 The nasal cavity; 4 knowledge check (conchae); 6 look-alikes; unit review (pituitary approach)
Netter 1-5 (PDF p. 17–18)4Cranial base, inferior view: palatine process of the maxilla, horizontal plate of the palatine bone, vomer, pterygoid plates and greater wing of the sphenoid, mandibular fossa, styloid and mastoid processes, occipital condyles, basilar part, foramen magnum; fractures of the base5 From below: the stylomastoid foramen and the outer mouths.Practise in 4 The external base in outline; Point to the landmark (section 6)
Netter 1-6 (PDF p. 19–20)5Foramina of the cranial base, superior view: cribriform foramina, optic canal, superior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, ovale, spinosum and lacerum, carotid canal, internal acoustic meatus, jugular foramen, hypoglossal canal and foramen magnum, each with its contentsThe card is a view from above, so the stylomastoid foramen is not on it; that opening is taught from the inferior view.Practise in 5 The master table; Point to identify: openings; Almost Twins
Netter 1-7 (PDF p. 21–22)3Mandible, anterolateral view: body, ramus, condylar process (head and neck), coronoid process, mental foramen, mental protuberance, mylohyoid line; the inferior alveolar bundle and the mental nerve; common fracture sites5 Openings of the face, jaw and palate.Practise in 3 Mandible; 3 and 6 knowledge checks (coronoid and condylar processes); unit review (condylar fracture)
Netter 1-8 (PDF p. 23–24)5Mandible, posterior view: mandibular foramen and lingula, mylohyoid groove, submandibular and sublingual fossae, mental spines; the inferior alveolar nerve block3 knowledge check (mandibular canal).The fossae for the salivary glands, the mylohyoid groove and the mental spines belong to the floor of the mouth and are outside this unit.Practise in 3 Mandible (inner surface and mandibular canal); 5 knowledge check (mandibular and mental foramina); unit review (nerve block)
Netter 1-9 (PDF p. 25–26)3Temporomandibular joint: head of the mandible, mandibular fossa and articular tubercle of the temporal bone, articular disc and two joint cavities, capsule and ligaments; hinge and gliding movements4 The external base in outline (mandibular fossa, articular tubercle).Only the bony surfaces are on the specimen. The disc, the capsule and the ligaments are soft tissue and are taught in words.Practise in 3 Mandible (the temporomandibular joint); 3 knowledge check (forward glide and the articular tubercle)
Netter 1-63 (PDF p. 133–134)5Nerves and vessels of the cranial base: the bent course of the internal carotid artery through the carotid canal, across the foramen lacerum (closed by cartilage) and into the cavernous sinus; the nerves at the jugular foramenThe joining of the deep and greater petrosal nerves appears once, in a “Deeper” note of section 5 cited to this card. The ganglia labeled on the card are not taught.Practise in 5 Follow one structure through the bone; 5 knowledge check; The Missing Arrow (internal carotid artery)
Unit scope 3.1 · Frontal3Frontal squama and glabella; supraorbital margins with a notch or foramen; orbital plates as the roof of the orbit and the floor of the anterior cranial fossa4 The orbit (roof); 5 Supraorbital notch.Practise in 3 Frontal bone; Point to the bone and Point to the landmark (section 6)
Unit scope 3.1 · Parietals3Vault plates with temporal lines; sagittal border; share in the coronal, lambdoid and squamous sutures; relation to the temporal region3 Sutures, bregma, lambda and the pterion.Practise in 3 Parietal bones; 3 knowledge check (lambdoid suture); Left or right? (section 6); unit review (sagittal suture)
Unit scope 3.1 · Temporals3Squamous, petrous, mastoid and tympanic parts; zygomatic process and arch; external acoustic meatus; mandibular fossa and articular tubercle; mastoid and styloid processes; internal acoustic meatus, carotid canal and stylomastoid foramen4 Where the boundaries run (petrous ridge); 5 Posterior cranial fossa; 5 From below.Practise in 3 Temporal bone; 3 knowledge check (temporal bone in the lateral view); Point to the landmark (section 6); 6 look-alikes
Unit scope 3.1 · Occipital3Squamous and basilar parts; foramen magnum; occipital condyles; external occipital protuberance and nuchal lines; share in the clivus; hypoglossal canal5 Posterior cranial fossa.The atlas itself and the joints of the neck belong to the planned Back & Vertebral Column chapter.Practise in 3 Occipital bone; 3 knowledge check (occipital condyles and the atlas); Point to the landmark (section 6)
Unit scope 3.1 · Sphenoid3Body, greater and lesser wings; sella turcica and hypophyseal fossa; pterygoid processes with medial and lateral plates; optic canal, superior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, ovale and spinosum on the correct surfaces4 Where the boundaries run; 5 Middle cranial fossa.Practise in 3 Sphenoid bone; 2 knowledge check (recognize the sphenoid); 6 look-alikes; unit review (pituitary approach)
Unit scope 3.1 · Ethmoid3Cribriform plate, crista galli, perpendicular plate, orbital plate, superior and middle nasal conchae; the inferior conchae kept separate from the ethmoid4 The nasal cavity; 5 Anterior cranial fossa.The cribriform foramina are taught as a region, the cribriform plate, and not as individual holes.Practise in 3 Ethmoid bone; 3 knowledge check (cribriform plate); 6 knowledge check (conchae); unit review (cribriform plate)
Unit scope 3.1 · Maxillae3Body, alveolar and palatine processes; infraorbital margin and floor of the orbit; infraorbital foramen; anterior nasal spine; share in the hard palate; maxillary sinus4 The orbit (floor); 4 The hard palate.Practise in 3 Maxilla; Point to the bone (section 6); unit review (orbital floor)
Unit scope 3.1 · Zygomatics3Cheek prominence; orbital rim and lateral wall; frontal and temporal processes; the zygomatic arch with the temporal bone4 The orbit (lateral wall).Practise in 3 Zygomatic bone; 1 and 6 knowledge checks (bone and side); unit review (anterior view)
Unit scope 3.1 · Nasals and lacrimals3Four separate bones: the nasal bones at the bridge of the nose; the lacrimal bones at the front of the medial orbital wall, with the lacrimal groove shared with the maxilla4 The orbit (medial wall).Practise in 3 Nasal and lacrimal bones; 3 knowledge check (nasal bones, left and right); 6 look-alikes (lacrimal and nasal)
Unit scope 3.1 · Palatines3Horizontal plates at the back of the hard palate; perpendicular plates on the lateral nasal walls; the small orbital process; the greater palatine region4 The hard palate; 4 The orbit (floor).Practise in 3 Palatine bone; 3 knowledge check (palatine bones in the hard palate); unit review (back quarter of the hard palate)
Unit scope 3.1 · Inferior nasal conchae and vomer3Two separate inferior nasal conchae on the lateral nasal walls; the unpaired vomer as the lower and back part of the bony septum, below the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid4 The nasal cavity.Practise in 3 Inferior nasal concha and vomer; 3 and 6 knowledge checks (conchae); unit review (the 14 facial bones)
Unit scope 3.1 · Mandible3Body, angle and rami; coronoid and condylar processes with the mandibular notch; alveolar part; mental foramen and mandibular foramen; both temporomandibular joints and their relation to the temporal bones5 Openings of the face, jaw and palate.Practise in 3 Mandible; 3 knowledge check (processes, mandibular canal, joint); 6 knowledge check (coronoid and condylar); unit review (condylar fracture, nerve block)
Unit scope 3.2 · Cribriform foramina5Olfactory filaments (CN I) between the nasal cavity and the olfactory bulbs, through the cribriform platePractise in Taught in 5 Anterior cranial fossa; practiced in the 5 knowledge check and The Missing Arrow (olfactory filaments)
Unit scope 3.2 · Optic canal5Optic nerve (CN II) and ophthalmic artery, at the apex of the orbitPractise in Taught in 5 Middle cranial fossa and Three comparisons; practiced in the 5 and 6 knowledge checks and Almost Twins
Unit scope 3.2 · Superior orbital fissure5CN III, IV and VI, branches of V1 and the superior ophthalmic vein, through the cleft between the wings of the sphenoidPractise in Taught in 5 Middle cranial fossa and Three comparisons; practiced in the unit review and Almost Twins
Unit scope 3.2 · Foramen rotundum5Maxillary nerve (V2) to the pterygopalatine fossaPractise in Taught in 5 Middle cranial fossa; practiced in the 5 knowledge check and Almost Twins
Unit scope 3.2 · Foramen ovale5Mandibular nerve (V3) toward the infratemporal fossaThe accessory meningeal artery and the lesser petrosal nerve are cited to Netter card 1-6 and marked as variable.Practise in Taught in 5 Middle cranial fossa; practiced in the 5 and 6 knowledge checks, Almost Twins and the unit review
Unit scope 3.2 · Foramen spinosum5Middle meningeal artery as the core associationPractise in Taught in 5 Middle cranial fossa and Follow one structure; practiced in the 5 knowledge check, Almost Twins and the unit synthesis
Unit scope 3.2 · Carotid canal and foramen lacerum5Internal carotid artery and its sympathetic plexus in the carotid canal; foramen lacerum closed by fibrocartilage in life, with the artery crossing its upper partPractise in Taught in 5 Middle cranial fossa and Follow one structure; practiced in the 5 knowledge check, The Missing Arrow and the unit review
Unit scope 3.2 · Internal acoustic meatus5CN VII and CN VIII enter the petrous part of the temporal bone; the facial nerve is followed to its exitPractise in Taught in 5 Posterior cranial fossa and Three comparisons; practiced in the 5 and 6 knowledge checks, Almost Twins and The Missing Arrow
Unit scope 3.2 · Stylomastoid foramen5CN VII leaves the facial canal between the styloid and mastoid processesPractise in Taught in 5 From below; practiced in the 5 knowledge check, The Missing Arrow and the unit review
Unit scope 3.2 · Jugular foramen5CN IX, X and XI; the sigmoid sinus at the start of the internal jugular veinThe inferior petrosal sinus is listed in the master table from Netter card 1-6 and is not developed further.Practise in Taught in 5 Posterior cranial fossa; practiced in the 5 knowledge check, Almost Twins and the unit review
Unit scope 3.2 · Hypoglossal canal5CN XII through the occipital bone, above the occipital condylePractise in Taught in 5 Posterior cranial fossa; practiced in the 5 knowledge check and Almost Twins
Unit scope 3.2 · Foramen magnum5Medulla continuous with the spinal cord; vertebral arteries; ascending spinal roots of CN XIPractise in Taught in 5 Posterior cranial fossa and Follow one structure; practiced in the 5 knowledge check
Unit scope 3.2 · Facial and palatal openings5Supraorbital notch or foramen, infraorbital and mental foramina with their nerves and vessels; mandibular foramen and the inferior alveolar bundle; incisive and palatine openingsThe incisive and palatine openings follow standard regional anatomy and are not on the supplied cards (see the note under the master table).Practise in Taught in 5 Openings of the face, jaw and palate; practiced in the 3 and 5 knowledge checks and the unit review (orbital floor, nerve block)

Source page map

Which lecture pages feed each section. Page numbers are PDF pages of the supplied files.

1Cards 1-1 to 1-5: the standard views of the skull (anterior, lateral, midsagittal, nasal wall, inferior)Netter p.9–18
1Parts of the skull; anterior and lateral views; brain case and facial bonesOpenStax p.§7.2
2Cards 1-1, 1-3: the 8 cranial and 14 facial bones; the associated bonesNetter p.9–10, 13–14
2Bones of the brain case; facial bones of the skull; hyoid boneOpenStax p.§7.2
3Cards 1-1, 1-2: bones in the anterior and lateral views; coronal and lambdoid sutures; pterion and asterionNetter p.9–12
3Cards 1-7, 1-8, 1-9: the mandible and the temporomandibular jointNetter p.21–26
3Each cranial and facial bone; sutures of the skull; the pterionOpenStax p.§7.2
4Cards 1-3, 1-4: midsagittal section and lateral wall of the nasal cavity (septum, conchae, hard palate, sphenoidal sinus)Netter p.13–16
4Card 1-5: the cranial base from belowNetter p.17–18
4Cranial fossae and their boundaries; the orbit; the nasal septum and nasal conchae; hard palateOpenStax p.§7.2
5Card 1-6: foramina of the cranial base with their contentsNetter p.19–20
5Card 1-63: course of the internal carotid artery; foramen lacerumNetter p.133–134
5Cards 1-1, 1-7, 1-8: openings of the face and of the mandibleNetter p.9–10, 21–24
5Openings of the temporal bone and of the three cranial fossae; openings of the orbit and mandibleOpenStax p.§7.2
6Cards 1-1 to 1-8, reused: the views, anchors and look-alikes of identification practiceNetter p.9–24
6Positions of landmarks and openings used as recognition cuesOpenStax p.§7.2

Sources and notes

Sources

NetterNetter's Anatomy Flash Cards, 4th ed. (supplied PDF)Study reference for names, positions and contents. Not reproduced; cited by card number and PDF page.
OpenStaxOpenStax, Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 7.2 The Skull (CC BY 4.0)Cross-check for bone inventory, landmarks and openings.
StatPearlsStatPearls: Anatomy, Head and Neck, Skull (NCBI Bookshelf NBK499834)Cross-check for skull bones, sutures and foramina.
StatPearls+StatPearls: Bony orbit (PMID 30285385) and Deep petrosal nerve (NCBI Bookshelf NBK534817)Orbit walls; carotid canal and foramen lacerum.
TA2Terminologia Anatomica, 2nd ed. (FIPAT, 2019)Accepted names and Latin terms.
BodyParts3DBodyParts3D 4.0, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0The 3D model. What a view shows is checked on the model itself.

Course PDFs are not served by this site. Page numbers refer to the supplied files so you can verify claims. Images labelled “Lecture image” are cropped from those files; “Teaching schematic” marks original drawings.

Source notes: where the sources differ or are ambiguous

Foramen lacerum. Source: OpenStax describes the foramen lacerum as an opening of the dry skull that is filled with cartilage in life and transmits nothing. Netter card 1-6 lists it with no contents, and card 1-63 describes the internal carotid artery passing across it. Taught here: The foramen lacerum is closed by fibrocartilage in life and no major structure passes up through it. The internal carotid artery leaves the carotid canal at the tip of the petrous part and crosses the upper part of the foramen. It is taught as a landmark beside the carotid canal, never as the artery's way into the skull. OpenStax · Middle cranial fossaNetter p.19–20Netter p.133–134
Contents of the foramen ovale and foramen spinosum. Source: OpenStax gives the contents by function only (a sensory nerve to the lower face and teeth; an artery to the coverings of the brain) and does not name them. Netter card 1-6 names the mandibular nerve for the ovale and adds an accessory meningeal artery and, occasionally, the lesser petrosal nerve; for the spinosum it names the middle meningeal artery and vein and a meningeal branch of the mandibular nerve. Taught here: One principal structure for each: the mandibular nerve (V3) for the foramen ovale and the middle meningeal artery for the foramen spinosum. The additional contents are listed in section 5, cited to the card and marked as variable or accompanying, and no question depends on them. V3 is not purely sensory: it also carries the motor fibers to the muscles of chewing. OpenStax · Middle cranial fossaNetter p.19–20
Ophthalmic artery: optic canal or superior orbital fissure. Source: OpenStax, in its account of the orbit, places the artery that supplies the eyeball in the superior orbital fissure. Netter card 1-6 lists the ophthalmic artery with the optic nerve in the optic canal, and the superior ophthalmic vein in the fissure. Taught here: The ophthalmic artery enters the orbit through the optic canal with the optic nerve, and the superior ophthalmic vein leaves through the superior orbital fissure. The unit follows the card on this point. OpenStax · The orbitNetter p.19–20
Parts of the bony nasal septum. Source: Netter card 1-3 lists the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid, the vomer, the palatine bones and the septal cartilages. OpenStax lists the perpendicular plate, the vomer and the septal cartilage. Taught here: Two bony parts: the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid above and the vomer below and behind, with the septal cartilage in front in life. The palatine bones and the maxillae contribute only a low crest along the floor, on which the vomer stands, so they are not counted as parts of the septum. Netter p.13–14OpenStax · The nasal septum and nasal conchae
Names: OpenStax, the Netter cards and Terminologia Anatomica. Source: OpenStax writes brain case, supraorbital foramen, maxillary bone, vomer bone and sphenoid sinus. The Netter cards write sphenoidal and ethmoidal bone, supra-orbital and infra-orbital, and inferior turbinate for the inferior nasal concha. Taught here: One name per structure throughout, as already used in sections 1 to 5, which cite Terminologia Anatomica for terms: sphenoid and ethmoid, maxilla and vomer without the word bone, supraorbital and infraorbital without a hyphen, supraorbital notch or foramen (it varies between skulls and between sides), inferior nasal concha, sphenoidal sinus. A synonym is given once where a student will meet it in another book; turbinate is the clinical word for a concha with its mucosa. OpenStaxNetter p.9–16TA2 · terms
StatPearls (NCBI) could be read only as record summaries. Source: The unit scope cites two NCBI entries: the bony orbit (PMID 30285385) and the deep petrosal nerve (Bookshelf NBK534817, for the carotid canal and foramen lacerum). During this build they could be read only as PubMed record summaries, not as full chapters. Taught here: The walls of the orbit are cited to OpenStax, and the course of the internal carotid artery to Netter card 1-63 and OpenStax, so the teaching does not depend on the full StatPearls text. Any StatPearls citation in the unit is a cross-check at summary level until the full chapters have been read. StatPearlsStatPearls+

Brief in the sources, expanded here as supporting context

Nerves and vessels are taught in words only. The specimen is a model of the bones. Every statement that a nerve or vessel passes through an opening or lies under a bone is a relationship to learn from the text, not something shown.
Contents of openings are limited to the principal structures. Variable or minor contents are named only where a supplied source lists them, and are marked as such.
Paranasal sinuses are named and placed where a bone or a wall needs them (maxillary sinus below the orbit, sphenoidal sinus below the sella). A full account of the sinuses and their drainage belongs to the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses topic.
Temporomandibular joint: the bony surfaces (head of the mandible, mandibular fossa, articular tubercle) are on the specimen. The articular disc, the capsule and the ligaments are described in words only, and the movement is given as one sequence of hinge and glide. Disc disorders and the muscles of chewing are left to the Head & Neck topic on the mandible and its joint.
Development and fontanelles: the unit describes the adult skull. The fontanelles get one short note where the bregma and lambda are taught. Ossification, growth at the sutures and changes with age are not covered.
Teeth appear on the specimen as upper and lower sets and stay outside the count of 22. Individual teeth, their numbering and their eruption are not taught.
Hyoid and auditory ossicles are explained once as associated bones outside the 22 (22 + 6 + 1 = 29) and are not described further.
Infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossae are named and placed as the destinations of openings. Their walls and contents are not taught in detail.
Clinical notes (Le Fort lines, blow-out fracture, extradural hematoma, nerve block) are short applications of the anatomy, not accounts of the conditions.

Case map

Source page map

Sources and notes