The skull comprises 22 bones, including 14 face bones and 8 cranial bones. They are also known as craniofacial bones. Each has a distinct function and location in the body’s anatomy. They contain soft structures and tissues that support speaking, facial expressions, feeding, and breathing. However, the face skeleton protects the brain and the sight, smell, and taste organs.
Table of Contents
- Human Facial Skeleton System
- Types of Facial Bones
- Functions of Facial Skeleton
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Human Facial Skeleton System
The bones that constitute the human face skeleton are called viscerocranium. The name refers to the skull bones that house the human brain. The viscerocranium and neurocranium are two separate regions that comprise the complex skeletal structure of the cranium (skull).
The facial skeleton’s shape plays a significant role in the shape of the face. Numerous face muscles and tissues are supported by the bones of the human face skeleton. Every bone joins (articulates) with the adjacent bones, giving rise to protrusions.
The face skeleton consists of 14 facial bones (six paired and two unpaired) with different anatomic structures. These bones comprise the paired nasal bones, inferior nasal conchae, maxillae, lacrimal bones, palatine bones, zygomatic bones, and the unpaired mandible and vomer.
Types of Facial Bones
The 14 facial bones of the human skeleton are as follows:
- Two inferior nasal conchae: At the top of the nasal cavity, two pairs of inferior nasal conchae articulate with the palatine, maxilla, ethmoid and lacrimal bones.
- Two lacrimal bones: There are two lacrimal bones (paired) on the interior of the eye socket. It joins with the ethmoid, maxilla, and frontal bone along with the inferior nasal concha.
- Two nasal bones: At the bridge of the nose, two nasal bones join with the frontal, maxilla, and ethmoid bones and with one another.
- Two palatine bones: They are paired and situated at the hard palate of the rear nasal cavity, joining with the maxilla, sphenoid, vomer and ethmoid bones.
- Two zygoma or zygomatic bones: They are situated at the upper cheek; join with the frontal, temporal, sphenoid, and maxilla bones.
- Two maxilla bones: They are situated in the upper jaw and join with the nasal, frontal, zygomatic, ethmoid, palatine, lacrimal and vomer bones and the inferior nasal concha.
- One vomer: It joins with the palatine, maxilla, and ethmoid bones and is located at the base of the nasal septum and above the hard palate.
- One mandible: It is situated in the lower jaw. It forms a synovial junction with the temporal fossa (temporomandibular joint) and only joins directly with its opposing partner at the chin.
Functions of Facial Skeleton
The primary function of the human face skeleton is to form the human face and the anterior skull’s cavities, including the orbit, mouth, and nasal cavities. It protects the intricate structures of these cavities and the face’s neurovascular structures.
The skeletal surface of the face skeleton provides points of attachment for the face muscles important for mood and emotional expression. The maxillary sinuses, for example, are found in the viscerocranial bones. These sinuses lighten the weight of the skull and improve voice resonance when speaking.
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