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ANATOMY / REFERENCE GALLERY1 / 2 references
Foramen lacerum: magnified reference view with a numbered learning marker. The complete original plate is available in the next view.
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Foramen lacerum

Irregular skull-base junction between sphenoid, temporal and occipital regions. Filled largely with cartilage in life. Not an open route for the internal carotid artery through its centre.

Zoom in, then drag to inspect. Keyboard: + / − to zoom, arrows to pan, 0 to reset. Tap the numbered markers to explore parts.

Foramen lacerum: magnified reference view with a numbered learning marker. The complete original plate is available in the next view.

Image: OpenStax College / university open textbook · Source / original · CC BY 4.0

Numbered markers and focused views are Mediveerse learning overlays; the original reference is linked above.

Foramen lacerum

Foramina & canals

Foramen lacerum

STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

Understand what you see.

Irregular skull-base junction between sphenoid, temporal and occipital regions.

Zoom into the original labels. Practise pointing out each structure, then explain it aloud. Diagrams are teaching references; specimen appearance and slide staining vary.

01 / IDENTIFICATION

How to recognise it.

  1. Irregular skull-base junction between sphenoid, temporal and occipital regions
  2. Filled largely with cartilage in life
  3. Not an open route for the internal carotid artery through its centre
02 / KEY STRUCTURES

Point them out.

Tap a number to open its reference, zoom in and locate the structure. Numbers stay the same across views. This key follows landmarks visible in the reference images.

Related features & study points (3)

Additional relations, attachments or microscopic details to revise alongside this plate. These are separate from its numbered image landmarks.

  • Petrous apex
  • Sphenoid body
  • Basilar occipital region
03 / VIVA PRACTICE

Think first. Then reveal.

Say your answer aloud before opening the suggested response.

Examiner-style prompts: identify the structure, explain its relations, then answer the applied follow-up. These are revision questions, not authenticated past papers.

01Identify foramen lacerum and justify your identification.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Irregular skull-base junction between sphenoid, temporal and occipital regions. Filled largely with cartilage in life. Not an open route for the internal carotid artery through its centre.

02Does the internal carotid artery pass vertically through it?
SUGGESTED ANSWER

No. After leaving the carotid canal, the artery passes across its superior aspect rather than through its cartilage-filled centre.

03Which named nerves unite in this region?
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Greater and deep petrosal nerves unite to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal near the superior aspect of this region.

Read the references.

Credited anatomical plates, microscopy and university teaching references. Individual image credits appear below the viewer. Historical plates can use older terminology; use the lesson text for current names.