The skull is the bony framework that forms the head, supports the structures of the face, and creates a cavity for the brain. This structure consists of about twenty-two bones:
- Fourteen facial skeleton bones that form the viscerocranium (the facial skeleton)
- Eight cranial bones that form the neurocranium.
The bones of the neurocranium are:
- The frontal bone;
- The ethmoid;
- The sphenoid;
- Two parietal bones;
- Two temporal bones;
- The occipital bone.
The functions of the skull consist of protecting and supporting the brain and other structures inside the head, such as the eyes and ears; it also provides an anchor for the muscles and tendons of the scalp and face.