Maxilla

Maxilla

  • Latin synonym: Os maxillare
  • Synonym: Maxillary bone

Definition

The maxillæ are the largest bones of the face, excepting the mandible, and form, by their union, the whole of the upper jaw. Each assists in forming the boundaries of three cavities, viz., the roof of the mouth, the floor and lateral wall of the nose and the floor of the orbit; it also enters into the formation of two fossæ, the infratemporal and pterygopalatine, and two fissures, the inferior orbital and pterygomaxillary. Each bone consists of a body and four processes—zygomatic, frontal, alveolar, and palatine.


Comparative anatomy in animals

Translations

Translations