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Sphenoid bone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bone: Sphenoid bone | ||
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| Cranial Bones. Only the end of the wing of the sphenoid bone is visible | ||
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| Sphenoid bone, upper surface. | ||
| Latin | os sphenoidale | |
| Gray's | subject #35 147 | |
| MeSH | Sphenoid+Bone | |
The sphenoid bone (from Greek sphenoeides, "wedgelike") is a bone situated at the base of the skull in front of the temporals and basilar part of the occipital bone.
The sphenoid bone somewhat resembles a butterfly or bat with its wings extended.
Contents |
It is divided into the following parts:
- a median portion, known as the body of sphenoid bone
- two greater wings and two lesser wings
- Pterygoid processes of the sphenoides which project from it posteriorly (below)
Two sphenoidal conchae are situated at the anterior and posterior part of the body.
Various other named features of the sphenoid bone exist:
- pterygoid notch
- pterygoid fossa
- scaphoid fossa
- vaginal process
- pterygoid hamulus
- pterygoid canal
- pterygospinous process
 Facial bones. |
 Lateral wall of nasal cavity, showing ethmoid bone in position. |
 Sphenoid bone visible center right. |
 Base of skull. Inferior surface. |
 Lateral view of the skull. |
 Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities. |
 Floor of the skull. |
 Roof, floor, and lateral wall of left nasal cavity. |
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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.