Where the occipital bone sits in the skeleton
The occipital bone is the bone at the back and base of the skull. The brain and spinal cord meet through its large opening, the foramen magnum, and it articulates with the atlas. The occipital condyles on either side of the foramen magnum form the joint with the first cervical vertebra, and the external occipital protuberance can be felt in the middle of the back of the head.
Frequently asked questions
Which part of the skeleton is the occipital bone in?
The occipital bone is one of the bones of the skull and hyoid. This group covers the bones that enclose the brain, the bones that frame the face, and the hyoid at the front of the neck.
How many bones are in the skull?
The skull has 22 bones: eight cranial bones that enclose the brain and fourteen facial bones that frame the face. The hyoid in the front of the neck is a separate bone that forms no joint with any other bone.
Is there one occipital bone or a pair?
There is just one occipital bone, on the midline of the body.
What is the bump at the back of the head?
The external occipital protuberance of the occipital bone. Ligaments and muscles of the back of the neck attach around it.
Other bones of the skull and hyoid
- Frontal bone
- Parietal bone
- Temporal bone
- Sphenoid bone
- Ethmoid
- Zygomatic bone
- Maxilla
- Mandible
- Nasal bone
- Lacrimal bone
- Palatine bone
- Vomer
- Inferior nasal concha
- Hyoid bone
Joints of the occipital bone
Bone counts
By region
Read more
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