Superior or cranial - toward the head end of the body; upper (example, the hand is part of the superior extremity ). Inferior or caudal - away from the head; lower (example, the foot is part of the inferior extremity).
What is the difference between the term superior and cranial?
Superior and inferior (cranial and caudal) are used when referring to parts of the body which are toward an end of the body. Superior structures are toward the head (cranial) while inferior (caudal) structures are toward the feet.
What is the difference between posterior and superior?
Posterior (or dorsal) Describes the back or direction toward the back of the body. The popliteus is posterior to the patella. Superior (or cranial) describes a position above or higher than another part of the body proper.
What is superior to the skull?
0:352:39Well we say the skull is superior to the neck because it's above it or we can say the neck is blankMoreWell we say the skull is superior to the neck because it's above it or we can say the neck is blank to the skull. We say well the neck is inferior to the skull.
What is superior cranial cephalic?
The terms superior, cranial, and cephalic all mean toward the head or the upper part of a structure while inferior and caudal refer to the lower part of a structure or away from the head. For example, the shoulder is superior (cranial) to the elbow and the elbow is inferior (caudal) to the shoulder.
Which part of the face is superior?
foreheadThe forehead is the superior region of the upper face region. The superficial layer of the forehead is made up of skin.
Which neck is superior?
headThe head is the superior part of the body that is attached to the trunk by the neck.
What is the superior part of the brain?
cerebrumThe cerebrum forms the superior part of the brain, covering and obscuring the diencephalon and brain stem similar to the way a mushroom cap covers the top of its stalk.
What is the most superior cranial bone?
The anterior cranial fossa is the most shallow and superior of the three fossae. The fossa is comprised of the frontal bone, the ethmoid bone, and the body and lesser wings of the sphenoid bone....Cranial Cavity.MnemonicBonesOOccipitalFFrontal4 more rows
What is the most superior part of the brain?
The dominant portion of the human brain is the cerebrum. It is the large upper part of the brain, distinguished by the gyri (folds) and sulci (folds) of the surface.
What is the difference between cranial and cephalic?
Cephalic: Relating to the head or the head end of the body. Situated on, in, or near the head. Cephalic is synonymous with cranial, relating to the cranium or head.
What does cephalic mean in medical terms?
Cephalic is a term that means "head" or "head end of the body." Congenital means the disorder is present at, and usually before, birth.
Does cephalic mean toward the head?
Definition of cephalic of or relating to the head. situated or directed toward the head.
Is superior and posterior opposite?
The opposing term for proximal is distal, meaning away from the point of attachment, and the opposing term for lateral is medial, meaning toward the center line. Superior indicates above, while inferior indicates below. Anterior refers to the front, while posterior refers to the back.
Is superior anterior or posterior?
Superior is toward the head, inferior toward the feet, anterior toward the front of the body, posterior toward the back of the body, medial toward the sagittal plane, and lateral away from the sagittal plane. For the limbs, proximal lies toward the trunk of the body, and distal lies away from the trunk.
What does superior mean in anatomy?
Superior or cranial - toward the head end of the body; upper (example, the hand is part of the superior extremity). Inferior or caudal - away from the head; lower (example, the foot is part of the inferior extremity).
What posterior means?
(pos-TEER-ee-er) In human anatomy, has to do with the back of a structure, or a structure found toward the back of the body.
How are cranial bones held together?
Your cranial bones are held together by unique joints called sutures, which are made of thick connective tissue. They’re irregularly shaped, allowing them to tightly join all the uniquely shaped cranial bones. The sutures don’t fuse until adulthood, which allows your brain to continue growing during childhood and adolescence.
What is the main defense system for the brain?
Your cranial bones are the main defense system for your brain, so it’s important to maintain their health by:
What is the structure of the skull?
The bones in your skull can be divided into the cranial bones, which form your cranium, and facial bones, which make up your face.
What type of synostosis causes a flat forehead?
Bicoronal synostosis. Infants with this type may have a flattened and elevated forehead.
How many cranial bones are there?
There are eight cranial bones, each with a unique shape:
Why does my forehead look elongated?
Sagittal synostosis. This type may cause the forehead to bulge out. The area around the temples might also appear very narrow, making the head look elongated.
What causes the back of the skull to tilt?
Lambdoid synostosis. This can lead to flattening on one side of the back of the skull. It can also affect the positioning of the ear or cause the skull to tilt sideways.
What is the cranial nerve?
cranial. [ kra´ne-al] pertaining to the cranium or to the head end of the body; in humans, a synonym of superior. cranial nerves nerves that are attached to the brain and pass through the openings of the skull; see anatomic Table of Nerves in the Appendices. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves, symmetrically arranged so ...
What is the synonym for cephalad?
See also: cephalad. Synonym (s): cranialis [TA], cephalic
Which nerve extends down to serve structures in the chest and abdomen?
The one exception is the vagus nerve, which extends down to serve structures in the chest and abdomen. Some of the cranial nerves are both sensory and motor (controlling motion as well as conducting sensory impulses), while others are either only sensory or only motor. Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, ...
Can arachnoid cysts be left untreated?
A. An arachnoid cyst that leads to symptoms usually needs treatment. Mild symptoms as you suggested are ok to left untreated however gradual onset of new symptoms may arise such as seizures, paralysis and other complications, therefore once symptoms occur one should consider treatment. More discussions about cranial.
What is the thoracic cavity?
Thoracic cavity. The upper ventral, thoracic, or chest cavity contains the heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus, large blood vessels, and nerves. The thoracic cavity is bound laterally by the ribs (covered by costal pleura) and the diaphragm caudally (covered by diaphragmatic pleura).
What are the two main cavities in the human body?
The cavities, or spaces, of the body contain the internal organs, or viscera. The two main cavities are called the ventral and dorsal cavities. The ventral is the larger cavity and is subdivided into two parts (thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities) by the diaphragm, a dome-shaped respiratory muscle.
Which organ is found in the abdominal cavity?
The abdominal cavity contains most of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the kidneys and adrenal glands. The abdominal cavity is bound cranially by the diaphragm, laterally by the body wall, and caudally by the pelvic cavity. The pelvic cavity contains most of the urogenital system as well as the rectum.
What does "lateral" mean in anatomy?
Lateral - away from the midline of the body (example, the little toe is located at the lateral side of the foot).
What does "distal" mean in a word?
Distal - away from or farthest from the trunk or the point or origin of a part (example, the hand is located at the distal end of the forearm).
What is directional term?
Directional Terms. Directional terms describe the positions of structures relative to other structures or locations in the body. Superior or cranial - toward the head end of the body; upper (example, the hand is part of the superior extremity ).
Which cavity is the smaller?
Dorsal cavity. The smaller of the two main cavities is called the dorsal cavity. As its name implies, it contains organs lying more posterior in the body. The dorsal cavity, again, can be divided into two portions.
What is the midline in a sagittal plane?
Imagine a line in the sagittal plane, splitting the right and left halves evenly. This is the midline. Medial means towards the midline, lateral means away from the midline.
Which artery lies medial to the biceps tendon?
The brachial artery lies medial to the biceps tendon.
Where is the scaphoid located?
The scaphoid lies in the proximal row of carpal bones.
What is superior and inferior?
Superior and Inferior. These terms refer to the vertical axis. Superior means ‘higher’, inferior means ‘lower’. The head is superior to the neck; the umbilicus is inferior to the sternum. Here we run into a small complication, and limbs are very mobile, and what is superior in one position is inferior in another.
Which is superior to the liver?
The lungs are superior to the liver.
Is the sternum anterior or posterior?
Anterior refers to the ‘front’, and posterior refers to the ‘back’. Putting this in context, the heart is posterior to the sternum because it lies behind it. Equally, the sternum is anterior to the heart because it lies in front of it.
Is the nose superior to the mouth?
The nose is superior to the mouth. The lungs are superior to the liver. The appendix is (usually) inferior to the transverse colon. The terms proximal and distal are used in structures that are considered to have a beginning and an end (such as the upper limb, lower limb and blood vessels).
What causes superior canal dehiscence?
Deep inside the inner ear are three delicate, fluid-filled loops called semicircular canals, which detect head rotations.
What is the condition called when the inner ear is in the middle of the brain?
Superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) is caused by an abnormal opening between the uppermost semicircular canal in the upper part of the inner ear and the brain. The condition causes problems with hearing and balance.
What is SCDS hearing?
What You Need to Know. SCDS is a rare condition caused by an abnormal thinness or incomplete closure of one of the bony canals in the inner ear. The problem can cause hearing loss, sound distortion and balance problems triggered by loud noises or intracranial pressure caused by sneezing or coughing. Patients often hear internal sounds — their ...
How to detect SCDS?
A specialist may be able to detect SCDS by using a computed tomography (CT) scan, but CT may give a false impression of a dehiscence when the bone is simply thin but intact. Hearing tests are critical to the proper diagnosis, as is an exam by a neurotologist. Another diagnostic test, called vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP), should also be used — a sound generator tests reactions in neck muscles or eye muscles.
What causes the ear to tumbling?
Sound vibrations escape the normally closed system of the inner ear and activate the hair cells that sense rotation in the superior canal. A loud noise can cause a sensation that the world is tumbling or bobbing up and down. Coughing or sneezing can cause the same phenomenon.
What is the test for vestibular evoked myogenic potential?
Another diagnostic test, called vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP), should also be used — a sound generator tests reactions in neck muscles or eye muscles. Surgery to correct the dehiscence can bring relief for those who are debilitated by their symptoms.
How does sound affect the brain?
With a thin area or opening in the canal , sound can “leak” through and reverberate in the brain. In addition, the vibration of sound can move the fluid in the canal.
Overview
- Cranial nerves are pairs of nerves that connect your brain to different parts of your head, neck, a…
What are cranial nerves and how many are there? - Your cranial nerves are pairs of nerves that connect your brain to different parts of your head, ne…
Their functions are usually categorized as being either sensory or motor. Sensory nerves are involved with your senses, such as smell, hearing, and touch. Motor nerves control the movement and function of muscles or glands.
Olfactory nerve
- The olfactory nerve sends sensory information to your brain about smells that you encounter.
When you inhale molecules with a scent, known as aromatic molecules, they dissolve in a moist lining at the roof of your nasal cavity. - This lining is called the olfactory epithelium. It stimulates receptors that generate nerve impulse…
From the olfactory bulb, nerves pass into your olfactory tract, which is located below the frontal lobe of your brain. Nerve signals are then sent to areas of your brain concerned with memory and recognition of smells.
I Optic nerve
- The optic nerve is the sensory nerve that involves vision.
When light enters your eye, it comes into contact with special receptors in your retina called rods and cones. Rods are found in large numbers and are highly sensitive to light. They’re more specialized for black and white or night vision. - Cones are present in smaller numbers. They have a lower light sensitivity than rods and are mor…
The information received by your rods and cones is sent from your retina to your optic nerve. Once inside your skull, both of your optic nerves meet to form something called the optic chiasm. At the optic chiasm, nerve fibers from half of each retina form two separate optic tracts.
II Oculomotor nerve
- The oculomotor nerve has two different motor functions: muscle function and pupil response.
Muscle function. Your oculomotor nerve provides motor function to four of the six muscles around your eyes. These muscles help your eyes move and focus on objects. - Pupil response. It also helps to control the size of your pupil as it responds to light.
This nerve originates in the front part of your midbrain, which is a part of your brainstem. It moves forward from that area until it reaches the area of your eye sockets.
I Trochlear nerve
- The trochlear nerve controls your superior oblique muscle. This is the muscle that’s in charge of …
It emerges from the back part of your midbrain. Like your oculomotor nerve, it moves forward until it reaches your eye sockets, where it stimulates the superior oblique muscle.
Trigeminal nerve
- The trigeminal nerve is the largest of your cranial nerves and has both sensory and motor functi…
The trigeminal nerve has three divisions, which are: - Ophthalmic. The ophthalmic division sends sensory information from the upper part of your fac…
Maxillary. This division communicates sensory information from the middle part of your face, including your cheeks, upper lip, and nasal cavity.
V Abducens nerve
- The abducens nerve controls another muscle that’s associated with eye movement called the lat…
This nerve, also called the abducens nerve, starts in the pons region of your brainstem. It eventually enters your eye socket, where it controls the lateral rectus muscle.
VI Facial nerve
- The facial nerve provides both sensory and motor functions, including:
moving muscles used for facial expressions as well as some muscles in your jaw - providing a sense of taste for most of your tongue
supplying glands in your head or neck area, such as salivary glands and tear-producing glands
VII Vestibulocochlear nerve
- Your vestibulocochlear nerve has sensory functions involving hearing and balance. It consists o…
Cochlear portion. Specialized cells within your ear detect vibrations from sound based on the sound’s loudness and pitch. This generates nerve impulses that are sent to the cochlear nerve. - Vestibular portion. Another set of special cells in this portion can track both linear and rotationa…
The cochlear and vestibular portions of your vestibulocochlear nerve originate in separate areas of the brain.
I Glossopharyngeal nerve
- The glossopharyngeal nerve has both motor and sensory functions, including:
sending sensory information from your sinuses, the back of your throat, parts of your inner ear, and the back part of your tongue - providing a sense of taste for the back part of your tongue
stimulating voluntary movement of a muscle in the back of your throat called the stylopharyngeus
Vagus nerve
- The vagus nerve is a very diverse nerve. It has both sensory and motor functions, including:
conveying sensation information from your ear canal and parts of your throat - sending sensory information from organs in your chest and trunk, such as your heart and intesti…
allowing motor control of muscles in your throat
X Accessory nerve
- Your accessory nerve is a motor nerve that controls the muscles in your neck. These muscles all…
It’s divided into two parts: spinal and cranial. The spinal portion originates in the upper part of your spinal cord. The cranial part starts in your medulla oblongata.
XI Hypoglossal nerve
- Your hypoglossal nerve is the 12th cranial nerve. It’s responsible for the movement of most of th…
It starts in the medulla oblongata and moves down into the jaw, where it reaches the tongue. - How can I keep my cranial nerves healthy?
You can help keep your cranial nerves healthy by following practices that keep your body, cardiovascular system, and central nervous system healthy.
Overview
- Your skull provides structure to your head and face while also protecting your brain. The bones i…
There are several types of bones within your body, including: - There are two types in your cranium:
Flat bones. As their name suggests, these bones are thin and flat, though some of them have a slight curve.
Fracture
- A fracture refers to any type of break in a bone. There are several types of skull fracture that ca…
Depressed. This refers to a fracture that makes part of your skull appear sunken. - Linear. A linear fracture in a cranial bone means there’s a break in the bone, but the bone itself h…
Basilar. This type involves a break in one of the bones near the base of your skull, such as the sphenoid bone. This is a serious condition requiring immediate treatment.
Craniosynostosis
- Some infants are born with a condition called craniosynostosis, which involves the premature cl…
There are several types of craniosynostosis, depending on the sutures they affect: - Bicoronal synostosis. Infants with this type may have a flattened and elevated forehead.
Coronal synostosis. This type can cause flattening on one side of the forehead and impact the shape of the eye socket and nose.
Other conditions
- Some other conditions that can affect the cranial bones include:
Cleidocranial dysplasia. Mutations to a specific gene cause unusual development of the teeth and bones, including the cranial bones. Common symptoms include a sloped forehead, extra bone within skull sutures, and an enlarged skull. - Craniometaphyseal dysplasia. This is an inherited condition that causes thickening of the crania…
Paget’s disease of bone. New bone tissue is rapidly made due to unusual behavior of osteoclasts, which are a type of bone cell. People with this condition are more prone to fractures because the affected bone is usually weaker.
Symptoms of a cranial bone condition
- With all the structures in your head and neck, it’s sometimes hard to pinpoint when symptoms ar…
Symptoms that suggest some type of cranial bone fracture include: - bruising around the eyes or behind your ears
clear fluid or blood draining from your ears or nose