1.3 Describe the basic anatomy of the skull and brain

i) The skull

The skull is a hard, bony box protecting the brain. It fits neatly around the brain, with the brain sitting inside, floating in cerebrospinal fluid.

There are a number of bony ridges that are on the inside of the skull that fit into gaps in the brain. These ridges can cause damage to brain tissue in the event of a TBI. This damage can commonly include lacerations or contusions around the frontal/ temporal lobes and contra-coup damage in the region of the occipital lobe.

Blood vessels line the inside of the skull, and there is a hole (the foramen magnum) at the base of the skull where the brain becomes the spinal cord.

Anatomy of the skull