
Oval opening in the greater wing of sphenoid. Lies posterolateral to foramen rotundum. Opens toward infratemporal fossa.
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Foramen ovale: 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 4.0Numbered markers and focused views are Mediveerse learning overlays; the original reference is linked above.
Foramen ovale
Understand what you see.
Oval opening in the greater wing of sphenoid.
Zoom into the original labels. Practise pointing out each structure, then explain it aloud. Diagrams are teaching references; specimen appearance and slide staining vary.
How to recognise it.
- Oval opening in the greater wing of sphenoid
- Lies posterolateral to foramen rotundum
- Opens toward infratemporal fossa
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.
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 ovale and justify your identification.+
Oval opening in the greater wing of sphenoid. Lies posterolateral to foramen rotundum. Opens toward infratemporal fossa.
02What is the principal nerve transmitted?+
Mandibular division of trigeminal nerve (V3); additional vessels and a variably coursing lesser petrosal nerve may be present.
03Which trigeminal division is mixed sensory and motor?+
V3; its motor fibres supply muscles including those of mastication.
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.