The axial skeleton refers to the 80 bones of the central bony skeleton comprising the head, neck and trunk. It has many functions including housing and protecting the central nervous system, and the organs of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Movement and other actions are dependent on the attached upper and lower limbs (appendicular skeleton).
Bones of the axial skeleton
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calvaria and skull base
temporal bones (paired)
parietal bones (paired)
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palatine bones (paired)
lacrimal bones (paired)
nasal bones (paired)
inferior nasal conchae (paired)
zygomas (paired)
maxillae (paired)
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middle ear ossicles (paired)
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atlas (C1)
axis (C2)
typical cervical vertebrae (C3-7)
thoracic vertebrae (12)
lumbar vertebrae (5)
sacrum (5)
coccyx (3-5)
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NB: anatomically, the teeth are not bones and therefore do not form part of the axial skeleton
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