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Quizzes > Health & Medicine

Cranial Fossa Quiz: Test Your Pterygopalatine and Skull Base Anatomy

Quick, free skull base anatomy quiz. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Darwin MaldonadoUpdated Aug 27, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration of skull base anatomy quiz on sky blue background highlighting optic canal foramen rotundum labels

This cranial fossa quiz helps you check your knowledge of the pterygopalatine fossa and nearby skull base foramina, from the optic canal to foramen rotundum. To build your map of the region, try the cranial nerves quiz, practice bone landmarks with the sphenoid bone quiz, and connect it all in the brain anatomy quiz.

Which structure passes through the optic canal?
Trochlear nerve (CN IV)
Optic nerve (CN II)
Oculomotor nerve (CN III)
Ophthalmic nerve (V1)
The optic canal transmits the optic nerve (CN II) along with the ophthalmic artery into the orbit. It is located in the sphenoid bone at the junction of the body and lesser wing. Oculomotor, trochlear, and ophthalmic nerves enter the orbit through the superior orbital fissure rather than the optic canal.
Which bone forms the majority of the anterior cranial fossa floor?
Temporal bone
Frontal bone
Parietal bone
Occipital bone
The floor of the anterior cranial fossa is primarily formed by the orbital plates of the frontal bone and parts of the ethmoid and sphenoid bones. The temporal and occipital bones contribute to the middle and posterior cranial fossae, respectively. Parietal bones form the roof of the cranial vault rather than the fossa floors.
Which foramen transmits the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve?
Foramen spinosum
Foramen ovale
Foramen rotundum
Foramen lacerum
The maxillary (V2) division of the trigeminal nerve passes through the foramen rotundum from the middle cranial fossa to the pterygopalatine fossa. The mandibular division (V3) uses the foramen ovale, while the meningeal branches use the foramen spinosum. The foramen lacerum is filled with cartilage in life and does not transmit V2.
The carotid canal transmits which structure?
Internal carotid artery
Internal jugular vein
Vertebral artery
Middle meningeal artery
The carotid canal in the petrous part of the temporal bone transmits the internal carotid artery into the cranial cavity. The middle meningeal artery enters through the foramen spinosum, and the internal jugular vein exits through the jugular foramen. The vertebral artery ascends through the foramen magnum.
The foramen spinosum is a landmark in which cranial bone?
Temporal bone
Occipital bone
Sphenoid bone
Parietal bone
The foramen spinosum is located in the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and transmits the middle meningeal artery and vein along with the meningeal branch of V3. It is a key landmark distinguishing the sphenoid from adjacent bones. Other bones do not contain this foramen.
Which foramen transmits the internal jugular vein alongside cranial nerves IX, X, and XI?
Hypoglossal canal
Mastoid foramen
Condylar canal
Jugular foramen
The jugular foramen is formed between the temporal and occipital bones and transmits the internal jugular vein along with cranial nerves IX, X, and XI. The hypoglossal canal transmits CN XII, the condylar canal carries an emissary vein, and the mastoid foramen transmits emissary veins to the sigmoid sinus.
Which structure passes through the foramen lacerum in vivo?
Internal carotid artery
Greater petrosal nerve
Deep petrosal nerve
Inferior petrosal sinus
Although the cartilaginous plug fills the foramen lacerum in life, the greater petrosal nerve (branch of the facial nerve) traverses its cartilage. The internal carotid artery passes above it, not through the foramen. The deep petrosal nerve joins the greater petrosal nerve above the cartilage.
Which bones compose the clivus at the cranial base?
Petrous temporal and squamous temporal bones
Greater wing of sphenoid and parietal bone
Squamous temporal and parietal bones
Body of sphenoid and basilar part of occipital bone
The clivus is a sloping region of bone at the skull base formed by the dorsum sellae (sphenoid body) and the basilar part of the occipital bone. It supports the pons and forms part of the posterior cranial fossa floor. Temporal and parietal bones do not contribute to the clivus.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Major Foramina -

    Practice pinpointing key openings on the cranial floor, such as the optic canal and foramen rotundum, to master essential skull base structures.

  2. Locate Cranial Floor Bones -

    Learn to locate and name each bone forming the cranial floor, reinforcing your understanding of cranial floor bones and their spatial arrangement.

  3. Differentiate Anatomical Landmarks -

    Distinguish between important ridges, grooves, and foramina within the cranial base anatomy to enhance your anatomical precision.

  4. Analyze Spatial Relationships -

    Analyze the spatial relationships among skull base structures to comprehend how neurovascular elements traverse the anatomy of the cranial floor.

  5. Apply Knowledge in Quiz -

    Apply your anatomical knowledge by answering quiz questions that test recall, accuracy, and application of cranial floor concepts.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Major Bones of the Cranial Floor -

    The cranial base is formed by the frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, temporal, and occipital bones. Use the mnemonic "OETSF" (Occipital, Ethmoid, Temporal, Sphenoid, Frontal) to lock these in memory. Reviewing a labeled schematic from a reputable source like Gray's Anatomy helps reinforce these relationships.

  2. Key Foramina and Their Contents -

    The skull base houses multiple openings: the optic canal, superior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, ovale, and spinosum. A handy phrase is "Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, AH!" where the first five "O"s map to those five passages. University anatomy atlases (e.g., University of Michigan's anatomy resources) clearly outline which nerves and vessels pass through each.

  3. Optic Canal Anatomy -

    Located in the sphenoid's lesser wing, the optic canal transmits the optic nerve (CN II) and the ophthalmic artery. Picture the canal as a tunnel in the skull's base - this helps you visualize injury risks and clinical correlations like papilledema. Cross-check diagrams from peer-reviewed journals to spot subtle bony ridges around the canal.

  4. Foramen Rotundum and Trigeminal V2 -

    The foramen rotundum sits just below the superior orbital fissure and carries the maxillary nerve (V2). Remember "R comes second" in V1 - V2 - V3, making rotundum the middle trigeminal passage. Clinical case studies in anatomy journals emphasize its role in maxillary neuralgia, so associate pain referral patterns with this opening.

  5. Carotid Canal & Jugular Foramen -

    The carotid canal transmits the internal carotid artery and sympathetic plexus, while the jugular foramen allows passage of CN IX, X, XI and the internal jugular vein. Imagine the canal as an arterial highway and the foramen as a multi-lane nerve-and-vein junction. Trusted medical school dissections (e.g., Stanford School of Medicine) highlight these structures in cross-sectional views.

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