Temporal bone

Bone: Temporal bone
Cranial bones
Facial bones.
Latin	os temporale
Gray's	subject #34 138
Articulations	occipital, parietal, sphenoid, mandible and zygomatic

The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull.

The temporal bone supports that part of the face known as the temple.

[edit] Parts

Each consists of four parts:

• Squama temporalis
• Mastoid portion
• Petrous portion
• Tympanic part

[edit] Composition

The structure of the squama is like that of the other cranial bones: the mastoid portion is spongy, and the petrous portion dense and hard.

[edit] Additional images

The skull from the front.	Sphenoid bone visible center right.	Side view of the skull.	Left infratemporal fossa.
Sagittal section of skull.	Articulation of the mandible. Lateral aspect.	Base of the skull. Upper surface.

[edit] In other animals

In many animals some of its parts stay separate through life: see ossification of temporal bone:

• Squamosal: the squama including the zygomatic process
• Tympanic bone: the tympanic part: this is derived fron the angular bone of the reptilian lower jaw
• Periotic bone: the petrous and mastoid parts
• Two parts of the hyoid arch: the styloid process. In the dog these 2 small bones articulate and are called tympanohyal (upper) and stylohyal (lower).

[edit] See also

• Ossification of temporal bone
• Bone terminology
• Terms for anatomical location
• Temporal fenestrae
• Temporomandibular joint

[edit] External links

• Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 34256.000-1

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.