Editing Skull (section)

=== Humans{{anchor|Structure_of_human_skull}} ===
{{about||details and the constituent bones|Neurocranium|and|Facial skeleton}}
[[File:Lateral head skull.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Skull in situ]]
[[File:Anatomy of the Human Bone 22.jpg|thumb|Human head skull from side]]
[[File:621 Anatomy of a Flat Bone.jpg|thumb|left|Anatomy of a flat bone – the periosteum of the neurocranium is known as the [[periosteum|pericranium]]]]
[[File:Sobo 1909 38.png|thumb|upright=.8|Human skull from the front]]
[[File:Human skull side simplified (bones).svg|thumb|upright=.8|Side bones of skull]]
The '''human skull''' is the bone structure that forms the [[human head|head]] in the [[human skeleton]]. It supports the structures of the [[face]] and forms a cavity for the [[Human brain|brain]]. Like the skulls of other vertebrates, it protects the brain from injury.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NiTLf7g1n04C|title=Anatomy Coloring Workbook|last=Alcamo|first=I. Edward|date=2003|publisher=The Princeton Review|isbn=9780375763427|pages=22–25|language=en}}</ref>

The skull consists of three parts, of different [[embryology|embryological]] origin—the [[neurocranium]], the [[Fibrous joint#Sutures|sutures]], and the [[facial skeleton]]. The neurocranium (or ''braincase'') forms the protective [[cranial cavity]] that surrounds and houses the brain and [[brainstem]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M8WgDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA2|title=Comprehensive and Clinical Anatomy of the Middle Ear|last1=Mansour|first1=Salah|last2=Magnan|first2=Jacques|last3=Ahmad|first3=Hassan Haidar|last4=Nicolas|first4=Karen|last5=Louryan|first5=Stéphane|date=2019|publisher=Springer|isbn=9783030153632|pages=2|language=en}}</ref> The upper areas of the [[neurocranium|cranial bones]] form the [[calvaria (skull)|calvaria]] (skullcap). The facial skeleton (membranous viscerocranium) is formed by the bones supporting the face, and includes the [[mandible]]. 

The bones of the skull are joined by [[fibrous joint]]s known as sutures—[[synarthrodial]] (immovable) [[joint]]s formed by bony [[ossification]], with [[Sharpey's fibres]] permitting some flexibility. Sometimes there can be extra bone pieces within the suture known as [[Wormian bone]]s or ''sutural bones''. Most commonly these are found in the course of the [[lambdoid suture]].

====Bones ====
{{main|Bone}}

The human skull is generally considered to consist of 22 bones—eight cranial bones and fourteen facial skeleton bones. In the neurocranium these are the [[occipital bone]], two [[temporal bone]]s, two [[parietal bone]]s, the [[sphenoid bone|sphenoid]], [[ethmoid bone|ethmoid]] and [[frontal bone]]s.

The bones of the [[facial skeleton]] (14) are the [[vomer]], two [[inferior nasal concha]]e, two [[nasal bone]]s, two [[maxilla]], the mandible, two [[palatine bone]]s, two [[zygomatic bone]]s, and two [[lacrimal bone]]s. Some sources count a paired bone as one, or the maxilla as having two bones (as its parts); some sources include the [[hyoid bone]] or the three [[ossicles]] of the [[middle ear]], the malleus, incus, and stapes, but the overall general consensus of the number of bones in the human skull is the stated twenty-two.

Some of these bones—the occipital, parietal, frontal, in the neurocranium, and the nasal, lacrimal, and vomer, in the facial skeleton are [[flat bone]]s.

====Cavities and foramina====
[[File:3d CT scan animation.gif|thumb|upright=.8|CT scan of a human skull in 3D]]

The skull also contains [[Sinus (anatomy)|sinuses]], air-filled cavities known as [[paranasal sinuses]], and numerous [[List of foramina in the human body#Skull|foramina]]. The sinuses are lined with [[respiratory epithelium]]. Their known functions are the lessening of the weight of the skull, the aiding of resonance to the voice and the warming and moistening of the air drawn into the [[nasal cavity]].

The foramina are openings in the skull. The largest of these is the [[foramen magnum]], of the occipital bone, that allows the passage of the [[spinal cord]] as well as [[nerve]]s and [[blood vessel]]s.

====Processes====
The many [[Process (anatomy)#Examples|processes]] of the skull include the [[mastoid process]] and the [[zygomatic process]]es.