Neurocranium
part of the skull that encloses the brain
In human anatomy, the neurocranium, also known as the braincase, brainpan, brain-pan, or brainbox, is the upper and back part of the skull, which forms a protective case around the brain. In the human skull, the neurocranium includes the calvaria or skullcap. The remainder of the skull is the facial skeleton.
In comparative anatomy, neurocranium is sometimes used synonymously with endocranium or chondrocranium.
Structure
The neurocranium is divided into two portions:
the membranous part, consisting of flat bones, which surround the brain; and
the cartilaginous part, or chondrocranium, which forms bones of the base of the skull.
In humans, the neurocranium is usually considered to include the following eight bones:
1 ethmoid bone
1 frontal bone
1 occipital bone
2 parietal bones
1 sphenoid bone
2 temporal bones
The ossicles (three on each side) are usually not included as bones of the neurocranium. There may variably also be extra sutural bones present.
Below the neurocranium is a complex of openings (foramina) and bones, including the foramen magnum which houses the neural spine. The auditory bullae, located in the same region, aid in hearing.
The size of the neurocranium is variable among mammals.
The public source identifies “Neurocranium” as part of the skull that encloses the brain. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Neurocranium, part and skull.
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This entry incorporates text from “Neurocranium” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.