Corpus: Head
1. Definition
The term head refers to the uppermost part of the human body, which houses the brain, the organs of food intake, access to the respiratory tract and important sensory organs.
2. Anatomy
The bony basis of the head is the skull, which sits flexibly on the cervical spine and is secured by numerous ligaments and muscles. The most important part of the head is the face (facies), which occupies almost the entire anterior region of the head. The face is formed by the facial skull and harbours three key features:
The head has numerous internal body cavities, which are either filled by organs or are pneumatised. These include:
- cranial cavity (cavum cranii)
- orbit
- nasal cavity (cavum nasi)
- paranasal sinuses (sinus paranasales)
- oral cavity (cavum oris)
2.1. Topography
The head can be anatomically divided into different head regions and facial regions. They make it easier to describe the topography (position) of structures or pathological changes. The most important regions include
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Regio buccalis | Buccal region |
| Regio infraorbitalis | Lower orbital region |
| Regio mentalis | Chin region |
| Regio nasalis | Nasal region |
| Regio oralis | Oral region |
| Regio orbitalis | Eye socket region |
| Regio parotideomasseterica | Parotid gland region |
| Regio zygomatica | Zygomatic arch region |
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Regio auricularis | Auricular region |
| Regio frontalis | Frontal region |
| Regio mastoidea | Mastoid process region |
| Regio occipitalis | Posterior occipital region |
| Regio parietalis | Parietal region |
| Regio temporalis | Sleeping region |
The submantel triangle and the submandibular triangle are located caudally adjacent to the neck.