External maxillary artery; Supplies blood to the lower region of the face, mouth and nose
Bones of the Axial Skeleton. The Axial Skeleton is the central core of the human body housing and protecting itâs vital organs. The axial skeleton consists of 80 bones: 29 bones in the head - (8 cranial and 14 facial bones) and then also 7 accociated bones (6 auditory ossicles and the Hyoid Bone) 25 bones of the thorax - (the sternum and 24 ribs)
As described in Chapter 6, the skeleton is divided into axial and appendicular portions (see Figures 6.1 and 7.1). The axial skeleton is structured from 80 bones segregated intothree major regions: the skull, vertebral column, and thoraciccage (Figure 7.1) . This part of the skeleton (1) forms the lon-gitudinal axis of the body, (2) supports the head, neck, and Chapter 7 The Skeleton 199 7 Figure 7.1 The human skeleton.