Endoskeleton in vertebrate made up of :

(a) Axial endoskeleton : (Skull + Vertebral column + Sternum + Ribs)

(b) Appendicular endoskeleton : (Girdle + Limb bones)












(a) Axial skeleton : It occupies the body's main longitudinal axis. It includes four
structure : skull in the head, vertebral column in the neck, trunk and tail if present, sternum
and ribs in the thorax. It form the upright axis of body and includes 80 (87 in children)
bones are as follows in man
Cranium 8 Hyoid 1
Face 14 28 Skull Vertebrae 26 (33 in children)
Ear ossicle 6 Sternum 1
Ribs 24
(1) Skull (General structure) : It is anterior
most axial skeleton. It is divisible into two main parts

(i) Chondrocranium (ii)
Splanchocranium
(i) Chondrocranium : Chondrocranium is
formed by (a) brain box or cranium proper and (b) two
sense capsules Orbit or optic capsule (eye) and
auditory or otic capsule (ear).
(a) Cranium proper : It is a strong and firm
bony box with a helmet-like covering over the brain,
called vault of skull, and a relatively thicker and
stronger floor of base upon which the brain rests. Its
cavity is called cranial cavity. Size of cranial cavity
averages 1475 cubic centimetres (cm
3
) in adult men. At
about the middle of the floor of cranium, there is a large opening of cranial cavity called
foramen magnum. The brain is connected to spinal cord at this foramen. Cranium proper of
mammal has four distinct zone
(1) Occipetal zone : Occipital zone has one supra-occipital bone on dorsal side, one
basioccipital on ventral side and two exoccipital on both lateral side of foramen magnum.
SKULL
(ANTERIOR
MID
DORS
AL)
VERTEBRAL
COLUMN
(BACK
SIDE)
STERNUM
(ABDOMINAL
SIDE)
RIB (LATERAL)
HEAD
PECTORAL
GIRDLE
FORE LIMB
PELVIS GIRDLE
HIND LIMB
A
X
I
A
L

S
K
E
L
E
T
O
N

L
I
M
B
S

G
I
R
D
L
E

A
P
P
E
N
D
I
C
U
L
A
R

S
K
E
L
E
T
O
N

VAULT OF SKULL
FRONTAL
PARIETAL
OCCIPITAL
TEMPORAL
STYLOID
PROCESS
CONDYLE
EXTERNAL
AU
DIT
OR
Y
ME
AT
US
BASE OF SKULL
MANDIBLE
MAXILLA CORONOID
PR
OC
ESS
MALAR
(ZYG
OMA
TIC)
EYE ORBIT
NASAL
LACRIMA
L
ETHMOID
FACE
SPHENOID
Fig. Human skull viewed from right side
Foramen magnum is present in ventral side of skull, which fills on Ist atlas vertebra. Two
occipital condyles forming dicondylic skull at the junction of supra and exo-occipital.
(2) Parietal zone : In the dorsal side of cranium parietal zone has three bone, that is
two parietal, one inter parietal and ventral side of cranium has 3 bone i.e. one basisphenoid
with pituitary foramen and two alisphenoid bone.
(3) Frontal : Frontal part of cranium has two frontal bone in dorsal side, each frontal
bone has one process called supra orbital process of frontal. Two orbitosphenoid, one
presphenoid bone in ventral side.
(4) Ethmoidal : Ethmoidal part has one circular plate called cribriformplate. That
plate is having two perforation for exit of I cranial nerve.










SUPRA ORBITAL
PROCESS OF
FRONTAL
FRONTAL (2)
PERIETAL (2)
INTER
PARIETAL (2)
SUPRA
OCCIPITAL (1)
TYMPANIC
BULL
A
EXTERNAL
AUDITOR
Y METUS
ORBITAL
CAPSULE (EYE)
ETHMOIDAL
ZONE WITH ONLY
ONE BONE i.e.
CRIBRIFORM
PLATE
TYMPANIC
BULLA
AUDIT
ORY
CAPS
ULE
OR
OPTI
C
CAPS
ULE
Fig. Dorsal view of mammalian
skull
ETHMOIDAL
BONE
FORMING
CRIBRIFO
RM PLATE
PERSPHENOI
D
ORBITOSPHENOI
D
BASISPHENOID
WITH
PITUTAR
Y
FORAME
N
BASIOCCIPITAL
EXOOCCIPITAL
SUPRA OCCIPITAL
FORAMEN
MAGNUM PRE OCCIPITAL PROCESS
CONDYLES
OTIC OR
AUD
ITOR
Y
CAPSULE
Fig. Ventral view of mammalian
skull
ALISPHENOID
PRE OCCIPITAL
PROCESS