Axial Skeleton

How many bones are included in the adult axial skeleton?

Which of the following structures is NOT considered part of the axial skeleton?

The rounded brain case that surrounds and protects the brain is also referred to as the what?

Which of the skull's 22 bones is the only one that is moveable?

The zygomatic arch, which spans from the cheek to above the ear canal, is formed by the union of processes from which two bones?

Which of the following bones is an unpaired bone of the brain case?

The sella turcica, which houses the pituitary gland, is a landmark found on which bone?

The small openings in the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone allow for the passage of what structures?

Which suture forms the junction between the frontal bone and the two parietal bones?

What is the name of the bony socket that houses the eyeball and its associated muscles?

The adult vertebral column is subdivided into five regions. How many vertebrae are in the thoracic region?

Which two primary curves of the adult vertebral column are retained from the original fetal curvature?

What is the defining characteristic of a typical cervical vertebra that distinguishes it from thoracic or lumbar vertebrae?

The gel-like inner region of an intervertebral disc, which has a high water content to resist compression, is called the what?

How many pairs of ribs are there in the thoracic cage?

Ribs 11 and 12 are known as floating ribs because their costal cartilages do what?

During embryonic development, the broad areas of fibrous connective tissue that separate the flat bones of the skull are known as what?

What is the primary function of the hyoid bone?

The large opening in the occipital bone that allows for the passage of the spinal cord is called the what?

What is the function of the costal groove found along the inferior margin of each rib?

An abnormal lateral curvature of the vertebral column, often accompanied by twisting, is known as what?

How many bones form the brain case of the skull?

The sacrum, which is part of the pelvis, is formed by the fusion of how many sacral vertebrae?

What is the function of the paranasal sinuses?

The small, U-shaped bone located in the upper neck that does not articulate with any other bone is the what?

What two bony processes join to form the zygomatic arch?

The pterion is a clinical landmark described as a small, capital-H-shaped suture line region. A fracture here is dangerous because it can damage an artery that supplies what?

Which part of a typical vertebra serves as the primary weight-supporting structure?

What is the total number of facial bones in the skull?

Which structure of the sternum is cartilaginous early in life but gradually becomes ossified starting during middle age?

What is the name of the opening formed between adjacent vertebrae that allows for the exit of a spinal nerve?

Which of the three nasal conchae is an independent bone of the skull and not part of the ethmoid bone?

The top and sides of the brain case are formed through which process of bone development?

Which part of the temporal bone serves as an attachment site for several small muscles and a ligament that supports the hyoid bone?

The secondary curves of the vertebral column, the cervical and lumbar curves, develop for what reason?

Which of these is a paired facial bone?

The anterior three-quarters of the hard palate is formed by the palatine processes of which bone?

The small, rectangular bone that forms the anterior, medial wall of the orbit is the what?

Which ligament of the vertebral column runs down the anterior side of the entire column and serves to resist excess backward bending?

How many bones contribute to the walls of each orbit?

A 'herniated disc' occurs when the anulus fibrosus weakens, allowing what part of the disc to protrude posteriorly?

What is the primary function of the ribs and sternum as components of the thoracic cage?

What is the anatomical term for the tailbone, which is formed by the fusion of four small vertebrae?

The mental foramen is an opening located on each side of the anterior-lateral aspect of which bone?

Which part of a thoracic vertebra articulates with the tubercle of a rib?

The initial rod-like structure that develops dorsally in the embryo and around which the vertebrae form is called the what?

What is the name for the large, oval-shaped knobs on the inferior skull that articulate with the first cervical vertebra?

How many bones form the face?

The nuchal ligament in the posterior neck is an expanded version of which other vertebral ligament?

The opening for the ear canal on the lateral side of the skull is the what?