Anatomically speaking, the model shows the bones of the skull and their interrelationships. Overall, the skull is divided into 2 parts:
The neurocranium, which is the braincase that encloses and protects the brain.
The viscerocranium, or facial skull, which surrounds the eye sockets and nasal cavity and bears the 32 teeth.
The skull contains many holes and channels through which vessels and nerves run to and from the brain. Many of these, but not all, are shown on this model.
The model is very suitable for forming an overview of where these holes and channels begin and end, as they will typically have their beginning on the inside of the skull, and their end on the outside of the skull - or vice versa. Because the bones that make up the top of the skull can be removed, a good understanding of the structure of the interior of the skull can be obtained.
The following bones are shown on the model:
Os parietale (left and right)
Os occipital
Us frontal
Os temporale (left and right)
Us sphenoidal
Os ethmoidal
Stomach
Os zygomaticum (left and right)
Maxilla - upper jaw with teeth (left and right)
Us palatinum (left and right)
Concha nasalis inferior (left and right)
Os lacrimale (left and right)
Us nasal (left and right)
Mandible - lower jaw with teeth
It should be noted that the hyoid bone (os hyoideum) is also included in the skull bones, but this is not included in the model.
In addition, the model shows the various sutures found between the skull bones, which in the adult are fused together.
