Head Anatomy Hub
A structured, exam-oriented map of skull, sensory organs, and neurovascular anatomy of head.
Head Anatomy Hub
Surface Anatomy
Landmarks and clinically useful surface features of the head.
Bones
Skull, calvaria, foramina, and major craniofacial bones.
Skull Anatomy – Cranial Bones vs Facial Bones
An overview of the 22 bones of the skull, divided into the neurocranium (protecting the brain) and the viscerocranium (facial skeleton), joined by immovable sutures.
Skull Cap (Calvaria) – Layers & Vascular Grooves
An overview of the calvaria (skull cap), its three-layered structure (outer table, diploë, inner table), and the internal grooves for meningeal vessels.
Skull Foramina – Cranial Nerves & Vessels Guide
A guide to the major foramina, canals, and fissures of the skull base, such as the foramen magnum and jugular foramen, and the vital structures passing through.
Mandible Anatomy – Parts, Muscle Attachments & Fractures
A detailed look at the mandible, the only movable bone of the skull. Learn its parts (body, ramus), muscle attachments, and common fracture sites.
Maxilla Anatomy – Processes & Le Fort Fractures
An overview of the maxilla, the keystone bone of the face, detailing its body, four processes (frontal, zygomatic, palatine, alveolar), and role in Le Fort fractures.
Muscles
Facial expression and mastication muscles with functional focus.
Facial Expression Muscles – Anatomy & Facial Nerve (CN VII)
An overview of the superficial muscles of the face, including the orbicularis oculi and buccinator, all innervated by the facial nerve (CN VII) for expressions.
Muscles of Mastication – Masseter, Temporalis, Pterygoids
An overview of the four principal muscles of mastication—temporalis, masseter, and medial and lateral pterygoids—all innervated by the mandibular nerve (V3).
Joints
Key head joints with high-yield clinical relevance.
Nerves
Sensory and motor innervation of face and orbit.
Face Nerve Supply – Facial (CN VII) & Trigeminal (CN V)
An overview of the face's innervation, with motor supply from the facial nerve (CN VII) for expression and sensory supply from the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve.
Orbital Nerves – CN II, III, IV, VI & Ciliary Ganglion
An overview of the nerves controlling the eye, including the optic (CN II), oculomotor (CN III), trochlear (CN IV), and abducent (CN VI) nerves, plus the ciliary ganglion.
Arteries
Arterial supply of face and orbit.
Face Arteries – Facial Artery Course & Branches
An overview of the arteries supplying the face, focusing on the chief artery, the facial artery, its tortuous course, branches, and important anastomoses.
Ophthalmic Artery – Course, Branches & Retina
A guide to the ophthalmic artery, a branch of the internal carotid, detailing its course through the orbit and its crucial branches like the central artery of the retina.
Veins
Venous drainage pathways including dural venous sinuses.
Face Veins – Facial Vein & Dangerous Area
An overview of the facial vein and its deep connections to the cavernous sinus, explaining the clinical significance of the 'dangerous area' of the face.
Ophthalmic Veins – Cavernous Sinus Connections
An overview of the superior and inferior ophthalmic veins, their drainage into the cavernous sinus, and their clinical importance in the spread of facial infections.
Dural Venous Sinuses – Cavernous & Sagittal
An overview of the dural venous sinuses, focusing on the clinically vital cavernous sinus and the superior sagittal sinus, which drains CSF.
Lymphatics
Lymphatic drainage of the face for clinical correlation.
Fascia
Fascial planes with emphasis on orbital fascia.
Cranial Wall & Cavities
Scalp, cranial cavity, meninges, and key fossae.
Scalp Anatomy – SCALP Layers, Vessels & Nerves
An overview of the five layers of the scalp (Skin, Connective tissue, Aponeurosis, Loose areolar tissue, Pericranium), its rich blood supply, and nerve innervation.
Temporal Region – Temporal Fossa & Fascia
An overview of the temporal region of the head, detailing its layers from the skin to the pericranium, with a focus on the strong temporal fascia and temporalis muscle.
Cranial Base – Anterior, Middle & Posterior Fossae
An overview of the cranial base, divided into the anterior, middle, and posterior cranial fossae, and the key foramina that transmit nerves and vessels.
Cranial Cavity & Meninges – Dura, Arachnoid, Pia
Understand the protective layers around the brain, including dura, arachnoid, and pia, and learn their roles in cushioning and supporting neural tissue.
Pituitary Gland – Anatomy, Lobes & Relations
An overview of the pituitary gland, the 'master' endocrine gland, detailing its location in the sella turcica, its lobes, and relations to the optic chiasm.
Oral Cavity
Oral regions, tongue, palate, and deep spaces.
Oral Vestibule – Lips, Cheeks & Gingiva Anatomy
An overview of the structures forming the entrance to the oral cavity, including the vestibule, lips, muscular cheeks, and the gingiva (gums) surrounding the teeth.
Teeth Anatomy – Types, Structure & Eruption
An overview of human dentition, covering deciduous and permanent teeth, their structure (enamel, dentin, pulp), nerve supply, and timeline of eruption.
Oral Cavity Proper – Boundaries, Floor & Roof
An overview of the oral cavity proper, detailing its boundaries, the floor of the mouth formed by the mylohyoid, and the roof formed by the hard and soft palate.
Tongue Anatomy – Muscles, Papillae & Nerve Supply
A comprehensive overview of the tongue, detailing its intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, papillae (vallate, filiform), complex nerve supply, and functions.
Palatine Tonsils – Anatomy, Blood Supply & Clinical
An overview of the palatine tonsils, masses of lymphoid tissue in the oropharynx, detailing their location in the tonsillar fossa, blood supply, and clinical role.
Eye
Orbit, eyeball, eyelids, lacrimal apparatus, and extraocular muscles.
Eyelids – Layers, Tarsal Plates & Glands
An overview of the eyelids, the protective folds covering the eye, detailing their five layers, tarsal plates, and glands (Meibomian, Zeis, Moll).
Conjunctiva – Parts, Fornices & Clinical
An overview of the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane covering the eye and inner eyelids, detailing its palpebral and bulbar parts and the conjunctival sac.
Lacrimal Apparatus – Tear Production & Drainage
An overview of the lacrimal apparatus, from the lacrimal gland that produces tears to the drainage pathway through the puncta, canaliculi, sac, and nasolacrimal duct.
Orbit – Bony Walls, Fissures & Contents
An overview of the orbit, the pyramidal bony socket housing the eyeball. Learn its six boundaries, key fissures and foramina, and its vital neurovascular contents.
Eyeball Anatomy – Coats, Chambers & Lens
An overview of the eyeball's structure, including its three coats (sclera, choroid, retina), anterior and posterior chambers, and the crystalline lens.
Ear
External, middle, and internal ear anatomy.
External Ear – Auricle & External Acoustic Meatus
An overview of the external ear, covering the auricle (pinna) with its cartilaginous landmarks and the S-shaped external auditory meatus leading to the eardrum.
Tympanic Membrane – Structure & Otoscopy
An overview of the tympanic membrane (eardrum), detailing its three layers, pars tensa and pars flaccida, and the 'cone of light' seen during otoscopy.
Middle Ear – Ossicles, Muscles & Boundaries
An overview of the middle ear, an air-filled space containing the ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes), and its connection to the nasopharynx via the auditory tube.
Internal Ear – Cochlea & Vestibular System
An overview of the internal ear, detailing the bony and membranous labyrinths, which house the cochlea (for hearing) and the vestibular system (for balance).
Nose
Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus anatomy.
External Nose – Bony & Cartilaginous Framework
An overview of the external nose, including its functions in respiration and olfaction, and its skeletal framework composed of nasal bones and various cartilages.
Nasal Cavity – Septum, Conchae & Walls
An overview of the nasal cavity, detailing its roof, floor, medial wall (nasal septum), and the lateral wall with its superior, middle, and inferior conchae.
Paranasal Sinuses – Drainage & Clinical
An overview of the four paranasal sinuses, their locations, drainage pathways into the nasal cavity, and their clinical significance in sinusitis.
Parotid Gland
High-yield anatomy of the parotid region and its relations.
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