What Is the Cranial?

(KRAY-nee-um) The bones that form the head. The cranium is made up of cranial bones (bones that surround and protect the brain) and facial bones

(bones that form the eye sockets, nose, cheeks, jaw, and other parts of the face). An opening at the base of the cranium is where the spinal cord connects to the brain.

Where is the cranial?

The cranial cavity, also known as intracranial space, is the space within the skull that accommodates the brain. The skull minus the mandible is called the cranium. The cavity is formed by eight cranial bones known as the neurocranium that in humans includes the skull cap and forms the protective case around the brain.

What is the cranial part of the body?

The cranium—the part of the skull that encloses the brain—is sometimes called the braincase, but its intimate relation to the sense organs for sight, sound, smell, and taste and to other structures makes such a designation somewhat misleading.