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The maxilla (plural: maxillae) is a fusion of two bones along the palatal
Palate

The palate is the roof of the mouth in humans and vertebrate animals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior bony hard palate, and the posterior fleshy soft palate or velum....
 fissure that form the upper jaw
Jaw

The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to the mouth.The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of most animals....
. This is similar to the mandible
Mandible

The mandible or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower tooth in place. It also refers to both the upper and lower sections of the beaks of birds....
, which is also a fusion of two halves at the mental symphysis.








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The maxilla (plural: maxillae) is a fusion of two bones along the palatal
Palate

The palate is the roof of the mouth in humans and vertebrate animals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior bony hard palate, and the posterior fleshy soft palate or velum....
 fissure that form the upper jaw
Jaw

The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to the mouth.The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of most animals....
. This is similar to the mandible
Mandible

The mandible or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower tooth in place. It also refers to both the upper and lower sections of the beaks of birds....
, which is also a fusion of two halves at the mental symphysis.

Function

The alveolar process of the maxilla holds the upper teeth, and is referred to as the maxillary arch. The maxilla attaches laterally to the zygomatic bone
Zygomatic bone

The zygomatic bone is a paired bone of the human skull. It articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone....
s (cheek bones).

The maxilla assists in forming the boundaries of three cavities:
  • the roof of the 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....
  • the floor and lateral wall of the nasal antrum
  • the floor of the orbit
    Orbit (anatomy)

    In anatomy, the orbital bone is the cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its adnexa are situated.It can also mean the skin which surrounds the eye of a bird....


The maxilla also enters into the formation of two fossae: the infratemporal and pterygopalatine
Pterygopalatine fossa

The pterygopalatine fossa is a fossa in the skull. It is the indented area medial to the pterygomaxillary fissure leading into the sphenopalatine foramen....
, and two fissures, the inferior orbital and pterygomaxillary.

Components

Each half of the fused maxilla consists of:

  • The body of the maxilla
  • Four processes
    • The zygomatic process
      Zygomatic process of maxilla

      The zygomatic process of the maxilla is a rough triangular eminence, situated at the angle of separation of the anterior, zygomatic, and orbital surfaces....
    • The frontal process
      Frontal process

      Frontal process can refer to:* Frontal process of maxilla* Frontal process of zygomatic bone...
    • The alveolar process
    • The palatine process
  • Infraorbital foramen
    Infraorbital foramen

    Above the canine fossa is the infraorbital foramen, the end of the infraorbital canal; it transmits the infraorbital artery, vein, and infraorbital nerve....
  • The maxillary sinus
    Maxillary sinus

    The maxillary sinus is the largest of the paranasal sinuses, and is pyramidal in shape....


Articulations

The maxilla articulates with nine bones:
  • two of the cranium: the frontal and ethmoid
  • seven of the face
    Face

    The term face refers to the central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head and can depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, tooth, skin, and chin....
    : the nasal
    Nasal

    Nasal may refer to:*Nasal consonant*Nasal vowel*Nose**Nasal cavity**Nasal bone**Nasal Helm**Nasal hair*Nasal scale of reptiles...
    , zygomatic
    Zygomatic

    Zygomatic can refer to:* Zygomatic bone* Zygomaticus major muscle...
    , lacrimal
    Lacrimal

    In anatomy Lacrimal can refer to:* Lacrimal apparatus* Lacrimal artery* Lacrimal bone* Lacrimal canaliculi , also known as Lacrimal ducts...
    , inferior nasal concha, palatine
    Palatine bone

    The palatine bone is a bone in many species of the animal kingdom, commonly termed the palatum ....
    , vomer
    Vomer

    The vomer is one of the unpaired facial bones of the skull. It is located in the midsagittal line, and articulates with the sphenoid bone, the ethmoid bone, the left and right palatine bone bones, and the left and right maxillary bone bones....
    , and the adjacent fused maxillary bone.


Sometimes it articulates with the orbital surface, and sometimes with the lateral pterygoid plate
Lateral pterygoid plate

The lateral pterygoid plate of the sphenoid is broad, thin, and everted; its lateral surface forms part of the medial wall of the infratemporal fossa, and gives attachment to the Pterygoideus externus; its medial surface forms part of the pterygoid fossa, and gives attachment to the Pterygoideus internus....
 of the sphenoid
Sphenoid

Sphenoid may refer to:* In anatomy, the sphenoid bone* In geometry, a tetrahedron with mirror symmetry...
.

Additional images


See also

  • Bone terminology
    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....
  • Terms for anatomical location
  • Ossification of maxilla
    Ossification of maxilla

    The maxilla is ossified in membrane. Mall 40 and Fawcett 41 maintain that it is ossified from two centers only, one for the maxilla proper and one for the premaxilla....
  • Hypostome
    Hypostome

    A hypostome , is a Osseous_tissue harpoon-like structure near the mouth area of certain Parasitism arthropods including ticks and mites , that allows them to anchor themselves firmly in place on a host mammal while sucking blood....
  • Maxillofacial surgery


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