ANATOMY OF THE SKULL,

MENINGES AND BLOOD

VESSELS
Nur Atiqah binti Mohamad Azli

SKULL
Composed of 22 bones
8 bones form the cranium
(neurocranium = contains the brain and
meninges)
14 of these form the face
(viscerocranium).
There are seven associated bones: the
auditory ossicles (three in each middle
ear) and the unpaired hyoid bone

Cranial Fossae
The cranial base (the floor of the
neurocranium, which supports the brain) is
divided into the following three cranial
fossae, with each having numerous
foramina (openings) for structures to pass
in or out of the neurocranium
Anterior: composes the roof of the orbits, and
accommodates the frontal lobes of the brain
Middle: accommodates the temporal lobes of
the brain
Posterior: accommodates the cerebellum,
pons, and medulla oblongata of the brain

22 bones excluding ossicles

into calvaria & facial skeleton

Mandible connected
at TMJ
Sutures are immovable fibrous joints

Calvaria =
paired temporal and parietal
unpaired frontal sphenoid, ethmoid
and occipital bones
Facial =
paired nasal, palatine, lacrimal,
zygomatic, maxillae, inferior nasal
conchae
unpaired vomer

Frankfurt line designates the cerebral base

Anterior Cranial Fossa

(Falx Cerebri)

Middle Cranial Fossa

Posterior Cranial Fossa

Foramen

Site

Cranial nerve

Ethmoidal
openings

Cribiform plate of
ethmoid

Olfactory nerves

Optic foramen

Anterior cranial fossa

Optic nerve

Ophthalmic artery (from

ICA)

Superior orbital
fissure

Between lesser and

greater wings

Oculomotor, trochlear and abducent

nerves
Ophthalmic division of 5th.

Ophthalmic veins

Foramen rotundum

Greater wing of sphenoid

(MCF)

Maxillary division of 5th.

Foramen ovale

Greater wing of sphenoid

(MCF)

Mandibular division of 5th.

Foramen of
Vesalius

Greater wing of sphenoid

(MCF)

Carotid foramen

Petrous temporal bone

(MCF)

Foramen lacerum

Junction of sphenoid, and

petrous temporal

Internal acoustic
foramen

Petrous temporal bone

(posterior cranial fossa)

Facial and vestibulo-cochlear nerve

Jugular foramen

Junction of petrous
temporal and occipital
bone
Occipital bone (posterior
cranial fossa)

Glossopharyngeal, vagus and

accessory nerves

Occipital bone

Spinal cord & its meninges, spinal

accessory nerve and sympathetic
plexus

Hypoglossal canal
Foramen Magnum

Others

Emissary vein from

pterygoid plexus to
cavernous sinus
ICA
Emissary veins

Inferior petrosal sinus and

IJV

Hypoglossal nerve
anterior and posterior
spinal arteries, vertebral
artery,

Meninges of the Brain

The brain and spinal cord are surrounded by three membranous
connective tissue layers called the meninges, which include the
following
Dura mater: thick outermost meningeal layer that is richly innervated by
sensory nerve fibers
innervated by meningeal sensory branches of the trigeminal nerve (CN III), the
vagus nerve (CN X, specifically to the posterior cranial fossa), and the upper
cervical nerves
forms thick connective tissue folds or layers that separate various brain
regions and lobes
Falx cerebri: double layer of dura between the cerebral hemispheres
Falx cerebelli: sickle-shaped layer of dura that projects between the two cerebellar hemispheres
Tentorium cerebelli: fold of dura that covers the cerebellum and supports the occipital lobes of the
cerebral hemispheres
Diaphragma sellae: fold of dura that forms the roof of the sella turcica covering the pituitary gland

Arachnoid mater: fine, weblike avascular membrane directly beneath the

dural surface; the space between the arachnoid and the underlying pia is
called the subarachnoid space and contains CSF, which bathes and
protects the CNS
Pia mater: delicate membrane of connective tissue that intimately envelops
the brain and spinal cord

the arachnoid and pia mater lack sensory innervation.

 2005 Elsevier

Blood Supply to the Brain

Arteries supplying the brain arise largely from
the following two pairs of arteries
Vertebrals: arise from the subclavian artery,
ascend through the transverse foramina of the
C1-C6 vertebrae, and enter the foramen magnum
of the skull
Internal carotids: arise from the common
carotid in the neck, ascend in the neck, enter the
carotid canal, and traverse the foramen lacerum
to terminate as the middle and anterior cerebral
arteries, which anastomose with the arterial
circle of Willis