Sphenoid bone

Sphenoid bone
Cranial Bones. Only the end of the wing of the sphenoid bone is visible
Sphenoid bone, upper surface.
Details
Identifiers
Latinos sphenoidale
MeSHD013100
TAA02.1.05.001
FMA52736
Anatomical terms of bone

The sphenoid bone is an unpaired bone of the neurocranium. It is in the middle of the skull towards the front.

Notes

  1. ↑ According to most dictionaries, the word sphenoid (/ˈsfiːnɔɪd/ derives from Greek sphenoeides, "wedgelike". Thieme Atlas of Anatomy disagrees and says that the sphenoid bone was originally called os sphecoidale, meaning "bone resembling a wasp", and that the word was later written 'sphenoidale' by a transcription error. An anterior view of the bone resembles more the body of a wasp or a bat with wings than a wedge.

References

  1. ↑ OED 2nd edition, 1989.
  2. ↑ Entry "sphenoid" in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
  3. ↑ Thieme Atlas of Anatomy, Head and Neuroanatomy 2011
  4. ↑ Chaurasia (31 January 2013). Human Anatomy Volume Three. CBS Publishers & Distributors. pp. 43–45. ISBN 978-81-239-2332-1.