The skull is the bony structure that covers the brain surrounding it and is part of what is known as the skull. The brain is the organ that is responsible for directing the functions of all the body systems that allow the body to do things such as breathe, feed, move, perceive the environment and interact with the world around it, that is why nature has taken care of give you good protection.
That is precisely the function of the skull, which creates a barrier that stops blows and prevents injuries from occurring. It also keeps the brain safe from pathogens that can directly damage the brain.
The skull is made up of the union of several bones through a series of cranial sutures that, during physical development, end up ossifying. An adult person has a total of eight skull bones. It is divided as follows:
- Frontal bone. It is the one in front and at the top. It is divided into two sections, one horizontal and the other vertical in a convex shape. It is the bone that forms the forehead that runs from the top of the skull to the temples and the openings of the eyes.
- Temporal and occipital bones. The first ones are located on both sides of the skull and the second ones at the base, above the nape.
- Parietal bones . They are flat, quadrangular bones found on the sides of the head. They join the frontal in the upper zone, the occipital in the back and the temporal ones on both sides. The parietals, together with the frontal, form the cavity that contains the brain.
- Ethmoid and sphenoid bone. They are located at the base of the skull and form the structure of the face.
The skull, in addition to protecting the brain, is also related to the facial physiognomy. Because skulls, even if they have the same structure, are not the same. There are many interindividual differences, the most striking being sexual dimorphism. Experts can distinguish when a skull is female or male by looking at the differences in shape that exist between the two sexes.
As with other organs, the skull develops during pregnancy and continues to mature and show changes long after birth.
At birth, babies have six skull bones instead of the eight that adults have . At this stage of life, the bones are separated by fontanelles, which are grooves of membranous tissue. These spaces close over time to form the sutures typical of the fully developed adult skull.
The skull is also susceptible to diseases, malformations and genetic defects . Crouzon disease or craniosynostosis, is due to a genetic mutation that causes the sutures are closed fontanelle early. This causes deformations in the skull and face, and in some cases, hydrocephalus.
Paget’s disease causes inflammation of bone tissue and this can generate fractures and deformations. Other ailments that can affect the development of the skull are microcephaly, hydrocephalus, spina bifida and some cases of meningitis and encephalitis.
The skull is therefore the protective element of the most precious organ of the human being: the brain. It also contributes to giving structure to the face, with its unique and characteristic features. And along with the rest of the skeleton, it is what lasts the longest after death.
