Human head
Human head | |
---|---|
Details | |
Identifiers | |
Latin | caput |
MeSH | D006257 |
TA98 | A01.1.00.001 |
TA2 | 98 |
FMA | 7154 |
Anatomical terminology |
In human anatomy, the head is at the top of the
Structure
The human head consists of a fleshy outer portion, which surrounds the bony
The face is the
Blood supply
The head receives blood supply through the internal and external carotid arteries. These supply the area outside of the skull (external carotid artery) and inside of the skull (internal carotid artery). The area inside the skull also receives blood supply from the vertebral arteries, which travel up through the cervical vertebrae.
Nerve supply
The twelve pairs of
Modern texts are in agreement about which
The cutaneous innervation of the head is as follows:
- Ophthalmic nerve (green)
- Maxillary nerve (pink)
- Mandibular nerve (yellow)
- Cervical plexus (purple)
- cervical nerves(blue) and others are in picture which show following in upper column
Function
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2014) |
The head contains
. Together, these organs function as a processing center for the body by relaying sensory information to the brain. Humans can process information faster by having this central nerve cluster.Society and culture
For humans, the front of the head (the face) is the main distinguishing feature between different people due to its easily discernible features, such as eye and hair colors, shapes of the sensory organs, and the wrinkles. Humans easily differentiate between faces because of the brain's predisposition toward facial recognition. When observing a relatively unfamiliar species, all faces seem nearly identical. Human infants are biologically programmed to recognize subtle differences in anthropomorphic facial features.[1]
People who have greater than average intelligence are sometimes depicted in cartoons as having bigger heads as a way of notionally indicating that they have a "larger head". Additionally, in
The head is a source for many metaphors and
Ancient Greeks had a method for evaluating
Headhunting is the practice of taking and preserving a person's head after killing the person. Headhunting has been practiced across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania for millennia.[5]
Clothing
Headpieces can signify status, origin, religious/spiritual beliefs, social grouping, team affiliation, occupation, or fashion choices.
In many cultures, covering the head is seen as a sign of respect. Often, some or all of the head must be covered and veiled when entering holy places or places of prayer. For many centuries, women in Europe, the
.A hat is a head covering that can serve a variety of purposes. Hats may be worn as part of a uniform or used as a protective device, such as a hard hat, a covering for warmth, or a fashion accessory. Hats can also be indicative of social status in some areas of the world.
Anthropometry
While numerous charts detailing head sizes in infants and children exist, most do not measure average head circumference past the age of 21. Reference charts for adult head circumference also generally feature
One study in the United States estimated the average human head circumference to be 57 centimetres (22+1⁄2 in) in males and 55 centimetres (21+3⁄4 in) in females.[7][dubious ] A British study by Newcastle University showed an average size of 57.2 cm for males and 55.2 cm for females with average size varying proportionally with height [8]
Macrocephaly can be an indicator of increased risk for some types of cancer in individuals who carry the genetic mutation that causes Cowden syndrome. For adults, this refers to head sizes greater than 58 centimeters in men or greater than 57 centimeters in women.[9][10]
Average head sizes]
Some values in the table below may not be correct. In particular, a random biocular breadth measurement showed a value of 101.6 mm for an average adult male. The first percentile value below is 110 mm for an adult male. Another user has also indicate around 100 mm being an average value for biocular breadth. Therefore, the biocular breadth values appear to be increased by around 22 mm.
Measurement | Image | Description | Sex | Percentile (centimetres) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 5th | 50th | 95th | 99th | ||||
Head breadth | 1 | The maximum breadth of the head, usually above and behind the ears. | Men | 13.9 | 14.3 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 16.5 |
Women | 13.3 | 13.7 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 15.8 | |||
Interpupilliary breadth | 2 | The distance between the centres of the pupils of the eyes, while looking straight ahead. | Men | 5.7 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 7.4 |
Women | 5.5 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 6.9 | 7.0 | |||
Face breadth (bizygomatic) | 3 | The breadth of the face, measured across the most lateral projections of the cheek bones (zygomatic arches). | Men | 12.8 | 13.2 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.4 |
Women | 12.1 | 12.3 | 12.8 | 14.0 | 15.4 | |||
Face length (menton-sellion) | 4 | The vertical distance from the tip of the chin (menton) to the deepest point of the nasal root depression between the eyes (sellion). | Men | 10.8 | 11.2 | 12.2 | 13.3 | 13.7 |
Women | 10.1 | 10.4 | 11.3 | 12.4 | 12.9 | |||
Biocular breadth | 5 | The distance from the outer corners of the eyes (right and left ectocanthi). | Men | 11.0 | 11.3 | 12.2 | 13.1 | 13.6 |
Women | 10.8 | 11.1 | 11.6 | 12.9 | 13.3 | |||
Bitragion breadth | 6 | The breadth of the head from the right tragion to the left. Tragion is the cartilaginous notch at the front of the ear. | Men | 13.1 | 13.5 | 14.5 | 15.5 | 15.9 |
Women | 12.5 | 12.8 | 13.3 | 14.3 | 15.0 | |||
Glabella to back of head |
7 | The horizontal distance from the most anterior point of the forehead between the brow-ridges (glabella) to the back of the head. | Men | 18.3 | 18.8 | 20.0 | 21.1 | 21.7 |
Women | 17.5 | 18.0 | 19.1 | 20.2 | 20.7 | |||
Menton to back of head |
8 | The horizontal distance from the tip of the chin (menton) to the back of the head. | Men | 15.7 | 16.5 | 18.2 | 20.0 | 20.7 |
Women | 15.2 | 15.8 | 17.3 | 18.9 | 19.6 | |||
Sellion to top of head |
9 | The vertical distance from the nasal root depression between the eyes (sellion) to the level of the top of the head. | Men | 9.7 | 10.1 | 11.2 | 12.4 | 12.9 |
Women | 9.0 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.7 | 12.2 | |||
Stomion to top of head | 10 | The vertical distance from the midpoint of the lips (stomion) to the level of the top of the head, measured with a headboard. | Men | 16.9 | 17.4 | 18.6 | 19.9 | 20.6 |
Women | 15.7 | 16.3 | 17.5 | 18.8 | 19.4 | |||
Sellion to back of head | 11 | The horizontal distance from the nasal root depression between the eyes (sellion), to the back of the head, measured with a headboard. | Men | 18.0 | 18.5 | 19.7 | 20.9 | 21.4 |
Women | 17.4 | 17.8 | 18.9 | 20.0 | 20.5 | |||
Pronasale to back of head |
12 | The horizontal distance from the tip of the nose (pronasale) to the back of the head. | Men | 20.0 | 20.5 | 22.0 | 23.2 | 23.9 |
Women | 19.2 | 19.7 | 21.0 | 22.2 | 22.8 | |||
Head length | 13 | The maximum length of the head; measured from the most anterior point of the forehead between the brow ridges (glabella) to the back of the head (occiput). | Men | 18.0 | 18.5 | 19.7 | 20.9 | 21.3 |
Women | 17.2 | 17.6 | 18.7 | 19.8 | 20.2 | |||
Menton to top of head |
14 | The vertical distance from the bottom of the chin (menton) to the top of the head. | Men | 21.2 | 21.8 | 23.2 | 24.7 | 25.5 |
Women | 19.8 | 20.4 | 21.8 | 23.2 | 23.8 | |||
Menton-crinion length | 15 | The vertical distance from the bottom of the chin (menton) to the midpoint of the hairline (crinion). | Men | 16.6 | 17.4 | 19.1 | 20.9 | 21.6 |
Women | 15.5 | 16.1 | 17.7 | 19.2 | 19.9 | |||
Menton-subnasale length | 16 | The distance from the bottom of the chin (menton) to the base of the nasal septum (subnasale). | Men | 6.1 | 6.5 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 8.7 |
Women | 5.7 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.8 | 8.3 |
See also
References
- ^ "Infants process faces long before they recognize other objects, Stanford vision researchers find". Stanford University. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ Brain Size and Intelligence
- ^ Lakoff and Johnson 1980, 1999
- PMID 19896961.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-2449-8.
- .
- ^ TECHNICAL BRIEF - Relationship Between Head Mass and Circumference in Human Adults. Date: July 20, 2007. Principal Investigator: Randal P. Ching, Ph.D. Institution: University of Washington. Applied Biomechanics Laboratory.
- PMID 1444530.
- ^ Cowden Syndrome Detection Will Allow For Early Discovery of Cancerous Polyps. Date: December 7, 2010. Principal Investigator: Charis Eng, MD, PhD. Institution: Cleveland Clinic Genomic Medicine.
- PMID 21343951.
Further reading
- Campbell, Bernard Grant. Human Evolution: An Introduction to Man's Adaptations, 4th edition (ISBN 0-202-02042-8).