The skull contains and protects the brain plus special organs such as the ears and the eyes. It is can be split into the cranium (neurocranium/braincase) and facial skeleton (vicerocranium).

The cranium creates a cranial cavity that houses the brain. The base of the cranium, the skull base (cranial base/floor) contains many foramina and canals through which pass arteries, veins, and nerves. Informally, “cranium” can refer to the entire skull, or the skull without the lower jaw (mandible).

The facial skeleton consists of the orbits, the oral cavity and the nasal cavity with spaces known as the paranasal sinuses. The mandible articulates with the rest of the skull at the temporomandibular joints. Teeth are socketed into the maxillae and the mandible (upper & lower jaw).