Mastoid part of the temporal bone
Posterior part of the temporal bone
The mastoid part of the temporal bone is the posterior (back) part of the temporal bone, one of the bones of the skull. Its rough surface gives attachment to various muscles (via tendons) and it has openings for blood vessels. From its borders, the mastoid part articulates with two other bones.
In other mammals, the mastoid region forms a part of the petrosal bone, itself a fusion of the prootic, opisthotic, and possibly epiotic.
Etymology
The word "mastoid" is derived from the Greek word for "breast", a reference to the shape of this bone.
Surfaces
Outer surface
Its outer surface is rough and gives attachment to the occipitalis and posterior auricular muscles. It is perforated by numerous foramina (holes); for example, the mastoid foramen is situated near the posterior border and transmits a vein to the transverse sinus and a small branch of the occipital artery to the dura mater. The position and size of this foramen are very variable; it is not always present; sometimes it is situated in the occipital bone, or in the suture between the temporal and the occipital.
Mastoid process
The mastoid process is located posterior and inferior to the ear canal, lateral to the styloid process, and appears as a conical or pyramidal projection. It forms a bony prominence behind and below the ear.
The public source identifies “Mastoid part of the temporal bone” as posterior part of the temporal bone. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mastoid, part and temporal.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3543924.
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This entry incorporates text from “Mastoid part of the temporal bone” 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.