Medical & Health Encyclopedia

The bones of the skull have as their most important function the protection of the brain and sense organs. There are also, of course, the jawbones that support the teeth and gums and which enables us to bite and chew our food.



Most of the skull appears to consist of a single bone- a hard, unbroken dome. Actually, the brain cage or cranium consists of eight individual platelike bones which have fused together in the process of growth. At birth, these bones are separated, causing the soft spots of fontanelles we can readily feel on a baby's head. As the baby's brain enlarges, the bones grows along their edges to fill in the fontanelles, finally knitting together in what are called suture lines, somewhat resembling inexpertly mended clothes seams. Along the suture lines, the skull bones continue to grow until the individual's mature skull size is reached.