The Face Architecture
14 bones built around openings
Your face is architecture: 14 bones built around openings â two eye sockets, a nose, a mouth, and hidden air rooms called sinuses that make your skull light enough to carry!
The facial bones of the skull
Real anatomy picture coming soon
Real anatomy photo spot: maxilla, zygomatic bones, nasal bones and mandible
The frame
The maxilla is the upper jaw â it anchors your top teeth and holds the base of your nose. The zygomatic bones are your cheekbones â they give your face its width. The nasal bones bridge your nose, and the mandible (Lesson 23) is the only face bone that moves. Underneath it all, the lacrimal bone near each eye drains your tears into your nose â that's why your nose runs when you cry!
The air rooms
Hidden inside your facial bones are air-filled rooms called sinuses. They make the skull much lighter, warm and clean the air you breathe, and give your voice its buzz and resonance. When you have a cold, the sinuses get blocked and your voice goes 'stuffy'.
Mr. Bones says: I'm a fictional skeleton, not a doctor! This is for learning and fun. If anything hurts, stop and tell a grown-up you trust.
