A cranial fossa is formed by the floor of the
cranial cavity
The cranial cavity, also known as intracranial space, is the space within the skull that accommodates the brain. The skull minus the mandible is called the ''cranium''. The cavity is formed by eight cranial bones known as the neurocranium that in ...
.
There are three distinct cranial fossae:
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Anterior cranial fossa (''fossa cranii anterior''), housing the projecting frontal lobes of the brain
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Middle cranial fossa (''fossa cranii media''), separated from the posterior fossa by the clivus and the petrous crest housing the temporal lobe
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Posterior cranial fossa (''fossa cranii posterior''), between the foramen magnum and tentorium cerebelli, containing the brainstem and cerebellum
Additional images
File:Cranial fossae - animation.gif, Animation.
File:Sobo 1909 45.png, Illustration.
File:727 Cranial Fossae.jpg, Superior view and lateral view.
See also
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Anatomical terms of location#Cranial and caudal
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Fossa (anatomy)
{{Compound structures of skull
Brain anatomy