Template:POTD/2019-11-01

Picture of the day

The human skull is the bony structure that forms the head in the human skeleton. It supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain. Like the skulls of other vertebrates, it protects the brain from injury. The skull consists of three parts, of different embryological origin – the neurocranium, the sutures, and the facial skeleton (also called the membranous viscerocranium). The neurocranium (or braincase) forms the protective bony structure that surrounds and houses the brain and brainstem. The sutures are fairly rigid joints between bones of the neurocranium. The upper areas of the cranial bones form the calvaria (skullcap), whereas the facial skeleton is formed by the bones supporting the face, including the mandible. This picture is a diagram of the human skull as seen from the left, showing the main bones of the neurocranium and the facial skeleton.Diagram credit: Mariana Ruiz Villarreal