Head & Neck Anatomy
The anatomy of the head and neck contains vital structures: brain, sensory organs, and systems for respiration, digestion, and circulation. Understanding relationships among bones, muscles, nerves, and vessels is essential for clinicians and students.
Contents
- Bones
- Muscles
- Cranial Nerves
- Blood Supply
- Glands
- Sensory Organs
- Clinical Cases
How to use
- Use ←/→ keys, on-screen arrows, or swipe to navigate.
- Tap hotspots on diagrams to learn parts.
- Use the radiograph viewer to zoom/pan & adjust contrast.
- Take the quiz. Your progress is saved offline.
- Install as PWA for offline access.
Bones
- Frontal — forehead; protects frontal lobe; part of the orbit
- Parietal — sides/roof; protects brain
- Temporal — houses ear; related to CN VII, VIII
- Occipital — posterior skull; protects brainstem & cerebellum
- Mandible — supports lower teeth; V3
- Maxilla — upper jaw; V2
Click hotspots to learn more.
Muscles
- Facial (CN VII): Orbicularis oculi, zygomaticus major, orbicularis oris
- Mastication (V3): Masseter, temporalis, medial & lateral pterygoids
- Neck: Sternocleidomastoid (SCM), trapezius
Cranial Nerves
CN I (Olfactory) — smell | CN II (Optic) — vision | CN III (Oculomotor) — eye movement, pupil
CN V (Trigeminal) — facial sensation & mastication | CN VII (Facial) — expression, taste
CN VIII (Vestibulocochlear) — hearing/balance | CN IX — taste/swallow | CN X — viscera
CN XI — SCM & trapezius | CN XII — tongue movement
Blood Supply
- Common carotid → Internal (brain/eyes) + External (face/neck/scalp)
- Venous drainage: Internal & External jugular veins
Glands
- Salivary: Parotid (serous), Submandibular (mixed), Sublingual (mucous)
- Thyroid (metabolism), Parathyroids (calcium)
Sensory Organs
- Eyes — CN II
- Ears — CN VIII
- Nose — CN I
- Tongue — CN VII & CN IX
Clinical Cases
Case 1 — Unfused Metopic Suture
A 4-year-old with midline frontal ridge; CT shows unfused metopic suture.
Case 2 — Temporal Bone Fracture & Epidural Hematoma
Post-accident lucid interval; biconvex hyperdensity; middle meningeal artery injury.
Case 3 — Temporal Trauma
LOC, ipsilateral facial weakness, hearing difficulty.
Case 4 — Occipital Catastrophe
Fall on occiput, apnea, fixed dilated pupils, Cushing's triad.
Case 5 — Maxillofacial Injury
Severe facial pain/swelling, malocclusion, diplopia.
Case 6 — Nasolacrimal Duct Injury
Periorbital swelling, epiphora, likely lacrimal system involvement.
Radiograph Viewer
Pinch/drag to zoom and pan. Adjust contrast / invert for better viewing.
3D Viewer (Optional)
Place a .glb/.gltf URL in the settings below to load a model (works offline once cached).