ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the key topics regarding cranial anatomy. The skull base is divided into three sections consisting of the anterior cranial fossa, middle cranial fossa, and posterior cranial fossa. Each of these three sections houses different structures of the brain. The brain contains four ventricles: two lateral ventricles and a third and a fourth ventricle. The two lateral ventricles communicate through an intraventricular foramen (the foramen of Monroe), and the third and fourth ventricles communicate by way of a cerebral aqueduct (Sylvius). There are approximately 140 mL of circulating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume in the ventricles, spinal cord, and subarachnoid space. CSF circulates through the brain and spinal cord and is reabsorbed by the arachnoid villi in the subarachnoid space and drained through the venous system. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves that are responsible for sensory, motor, or both sensory and motor function. The chapter tabulates the cranial nerves and their corresponding sensory and/or motor functions.
