Head

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Head

In anatomy

Anatomy

Anatomy is a branch of biology that is the consideration of the body plan. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy and plant anatomy ....
, the head of an animal

Animal

Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the Kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life....
is the rostral

Rostral

Rostral can refer to:* Anatomical terms of location#Directions, Top or cephaled, as opposed to caudal or down.* Rostral bone* Rostral column, a monumental scaled column, frequently decorated with ship bows...
part (from anatomical position) that usually comprises the brain

Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate, and most invertebrate, animals. Some primitive animals such as cnidarian and echinoderm have a decentralized nervous system without a brain, while sponges lack any nervous system at all....
, eye

Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
s, ear

Ear

The ear is the sense organ that detects sounds. The vertebrate ear shows a common biology from fish to humans, with variations in structure according to order and species....
s, nose

Nose

Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for Respiration in conjunction with the mouth....
, and mouth

Mouth

The mouth, buccal cavity, or oral cavity is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and begins digestion by mechanically breaking up the solid food particles into smaller pieces and mixing them with saliva....
(all of which aid in various sensory functions, such as sight

Sight

Sight may refer to one of the following:*Visual perception*Sight , used to assist aim by guiding the eye*Sight , a 2005 Concert DVD by Keller Williams...
, hearing

Hearing (sense)

Hearing is one of the traditional five senses. It is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations via an organ such as the ear. The inability to hear is called deafness....
, smell

Olfaction

Olfaction refers to the sense of smell. This sense is mediated by specialized sensory cells of the nasal cavity of vertebrates, and, by analogy, sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates....
, and taste

Taste

Sorry, no overview for this topic
). Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms

Bilateria

The Bilateria are all animals having a symmetry #Bilateral symmetry, i.e. they have a front and a back end, as well as an upside and downside....
do.

very simplest animals do not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms

Bilateria

The Bilateria are all animals having a symmetry #Bilateral symmetry, i.e. they have a front and a back end, as well as an upside and downside....
do.

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Anatomy generally

Bilateral symmetry

The very simplest animals do not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms

Bilateria

The Bilateria are all animals having a symmetry #Bilateral symmetry, i.e. they have a front and a back end, as well as an upside and downside....
do. Vertebrates in particular have distinctive heads, which is associated with the development of the neural crest

Neural crest

The neural crest, a transient component of the ectoderm, is located in between the neural tube and the epidermis of an embryo during neural tube formation....
in the developing vertebrate embryo. The contents of the vertebrate head are protected by an enclosure of bone

Bone

Bones are rigid organ that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell and white blood cells and store minerals....
called the skull

Skull

The skull is a bone structure found in the head of many animals. The skull supports the structures of the face and protects the head against injury....
, which is attached to the spine. The head is the most complex anatomical construct in the anatomy of vertebrates.

The head is of singular importance as it contains the brain

Brain

Cultural importance

For humans, the head and particularly the face are the main distinguishing feature between different people, due to their easily discernible features such as hair and eye color, nose, eye and mouth shapes, wrinkles, etc.

People who are more intelligent than normal are sometimes depicted in cartoon

Cartoon

The word cartoon has various meanings, based on several very different forms of visual art and illustration. The term has evolved over time.The original meaning was in fine art, and there cartoon meant a preparatory drawing for a piece of art such as a painting or tapestry....
s as having bigger heads, as a way of indicating that they have a larger brain; in science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, art, television, films, games, theatre, and other media....
, an extraterrestrial

Extraterrestrial life in popular culture

In popular cultures, life forms--especially intelligent life forms, that are of extraterrestrial life, i.e. not coming from the Earth--are referred to collectively as Extraterrestrial lifes, or sometimes visitors....
having a big head is often symbolic of high intelligence. Outside of this symbolic depiction, however, advances in neurobiology have shown that the functional diversity of the brain means that a difference in overall brain size is not a reliable indicator of how much, if any, difference in overall intelligence exists between two humans.

Clothing

In many cultures, covering the head is seen as a sign of respect. Often, some or all of the head must be covered and veiled when entering holy places, or places of prayer. For many centuries, women in Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia have covered their hair as a sign of modesty. This trend has changed drastically in Europe in the 20th Century, although is still observed in other parts of the world. In addition, a number of religious paths require men to wear specific head clothing- such as the Jewish yarmulke, or the sikh turban; or Muslim women, who cover their hair, ears, and neck with a scarf.

Different headpieces can also signify status, origin, religious/spiritual beliefs, social grouping, occupation, and fashion choices.

Head

Anatomy generally

Bilateral symmetry

Cultural importance

Clothing

Anthropometry

See also

External links