Sphenoid bone
| Bone: Sphenoid bone | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Cranial Bones. Only the end of the wing of the sphenoid bone is visible | ||
 | ||
| Sphenoid bone, upper surface. | ||
| Latin | os sphenoidale | |
The sphenoid bone[note 1] is an unpaired bone of the neurocranium. It is in the middle of the skull towards the front.
Sphenoid Bone Media
Seven bones articulate to form the orbit. The sphenoid bone is in red (directly in the middle of the orbital cavity)
Wedge-shaped sphenoid bone seen laterally
Figure 4 : Sphenoid bone at birth, posterior aspect.
Seen from below (mandible is removed)
Bones of the skull
Lateral wall of nasal cavity, showing ethmoid bone in position.
Base of skull. Inferior surface.
Notes
- ↑ According to most dictionaries, the word sphenoid (/ˈsfiːnɔɪd/[1][2] derives from Greek sphenoeides, "wedgelike". Thieme Atlas of Anatomy[3] disagrees and says that the sphenoid bone was originally called os sphecoidale, meaning "bone resembling a wasp", and that the word was later written 'sphenoidale' by a transcription error. An anterior view of the bone resembles more the body of a wasp or a bat[4] with wings than a wedge.
References
- ↑ OED 2nd edition, 1989.
- ↑ Entry "sphenoid" in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
- ↑ Thieme Atlas of Anatomy, Head and Neuroanatomy 2011
- ↑ Chaurasia (31 January 2013). Human Anatomy Volume Three. CBS Publishers & Distributors. pp. 43–45. ISBN 978-81-239-2332-1.