Occipital
Occipital
Occipital (pronunciation: /ɒkˈsɪpɪtəl/) is a term used in anatomy to refer to the posterior (back) portion of the head or skull. The term is derived from the Latin word 'occiput', which means 'back of the skull'.
Etymology
The term 'occipital' is derived from the Latin 'occiput' which is itself a combination of 'ob', meaning 'against' and 'caput', meaning 'head'. It was first used in English in the early 17th century.
Occipital Bone
The occipital bone is the trapezoid-shaped bone found at the lower back of the cranium, the part of the skull that encloses the brain. It is one of the seven bones that form the skull.
Occipital Lobe
The occipital lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The occipital lobe is the visual processing center of the mammalian brain containing most of the anatomical region of the visual cortex.
Occipital Nerve
The occipital nerve is a group of nerves that run from the top of the spinal cord to the scalp at the back of the head. There are two occipital nerves: the greater occipital nerve and the lesser occipital nerve.
Related Terms
- Occipital Condyle: The occipital condyles are the two rounded knobs on the bottom of the occipital bone that forms a joint with the first cervical vertebra.
- Occipital Artery: The occipital artery arises from the external carotid artery to supply blood to the back of the scalp and muscles in the neck and back of the head.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Occipital
- Wikipedia's article - Occipital
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