The zygomatic processes (aka. malar) are three processes (protrusions) from other

bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...

s of the

skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

which each articulate with the

zygomatic bone In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from ), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone, situated at the upper and lateral part of the face and forming part of the lateral wall and floor of the orbit, of the temporal fos ...

. The three processes are: * Zygomatic process of frontal bone from the

frontal bone In the human skull, the frontal bone or sincipital bone is an unpaired bone which consists of two portions.'' Gray's Anatomy'' (1918) These are the vertically oriented squamous part, and the horizontally oriented orbital part, making up the bo ...

* Zygomatic process of maxilla from the

maxilla In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...

* Zygomatic process of temporal bone from the

temporal bone The temporal bone is a paired bone situated at the sides and base of the skull, lateral to the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex. The temporal bones are overlaid by the sides of the head known as the temples where four of the cranial bone ...

The term ''zygomatic'' derives . The zygomatic process is occasionally referred to as the zygoma, but this term usually refers to the zygomatic bone or occasionally the zygomatic arch.

Zygomatic process of frontal bone

The

supraorbital margin The brow ridge, or supraorbital ridge known as superciliary arch in medicine, is a bony ridge located above the eye sockets of all primates and some other animals. In humans, the Eyebrow, eyebrows are located on their lower margin. Structure The ...

of the

ends laterally in its zygomatic process, which is strong and prominent, and articulates with the

. The zygomatic process of the frontal bone extends from the frontal bone laterally and inferiorly.

Zygomatic process of maxilla

The zygomatic process of the maxillaGoogle Books: zygomatic process of the maxilla
''Exercises in Oral Radiology and Interpretation – E-Book'' (Elsevier Health Sciences, Dec 12, 2003, by Robert P. Langlais) – Retrieved 2018-08-26 is a rough triangular eminence, situated at the angle of separation of the anterior, zygomatic, and orbital surfaces. * ''In front'' it forms part of the anterior surface. * ''Behind'' it is concave, and forms part of the infratemporal fossa. * ''Above'' it is rough and serrated for articulation with the

. * ''Below'' it presents the prominent arched border which marks the division between the anterior and infratemporal surfaces.

Zygomatic process of temporal bone

The zygomatic process of the temporal bone is a long, arched process projecting from the lower part of the squamous portion of the

. It articulates with the

. This process is at first directed lateralward, its two surfaces looking upward and downward; it then appears as if twisted inward upon itself, and runs forward, its surfaces now looking medialward and lateralward. The superior border is long, thin, and sharp, and serves for the attachment of the temporal fascia. The inferior border, short, thick, and arched, has attached to it some fibers of the

masseter In anatomy, the masseter is one of the muscles of mastication. Found only in mammals, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter. The most obvious muscle of mastication is the masseter muscle, since it is the ...

. The lateral surface is convex and subcutaneous. The medial surface is concave, and affords attachment to the masseter. The anterior end is deeply serrated and articulates with the

. The posterior end is connected to the squama by two roots, the anterior and posterior roots: * The posterior root, a prolongation of the upper border, is strongly marked; it runs backward above the external auditory meatus. * The anterior root, continuous with the lower border, is short but broad and strong; it is directed medialward and ends in a rounded eminence, the articular tubercle (eminentia articularis).

Processes of the zygomatic bone

The

itself has four processes, namely the frontosphenoidal, orbital, maxillary and temporal processes. The ''frontosphenoidal process'' is thick and serrated. The

cranial suture In anatomy, fibrous joints are joints connected by fibrous tissue, consisting mainly of collagen. These are fixed joints where bones are united by a layer of white fibrous tissue of varying thickness. In the skull, the joints between the bones ar ...

between the frontal and zygomatic bone is found here. On its orbital surface, just within the orbital margin and about 11 mm below the zygomaticofrontal suture is a tubercle of varying size and form, but present in 95 per cent of skulls (Whitnall 43). This tubercle is not seen in the picture. The '' orbital process'' is a thick, strong plate, projecting backward and medialward from the orbital margin. It is the gloomy area beneath the lac(rimal) and ethmoidal bones in the image. The ''maxillary process'' presents a rough, triangular surface which articulates with the maxilla. It is the area below "zygomatic" in the image. The ''temporal process'', long, narrow, and serrated, articulates with the zygomatic process of the temporal. It is the process to the right of "zygomatic" in the image.

Additional images

File:Gray134.png, Frontal bone: outer surface File:Slide4fen.JPG, Zygomatic process of frontal bone File:Zygomatic process of maxilla - animation01.gif, Zygomatic process of maxilla File:Zygomatic process of temporal bone - animation02.gif, Zygomatic process of the temporal bone

References

External links

Photo – look for #6
* * – "Osteology of the Skull: The Maxilla" {{Authority control Skull Bones of the head and neck