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ANATOMY / REFERENCE GALLERY1 / 3 references
Pterygoid plates: magnified reference view with a numbered learning marker. The complete original plate is available in the next view.
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Pterygoid plates

Paired medial and lateral plates descend from sphenoid. Pterygoid fossa lies between them posteriorly. Medial plate ends inferiorly in the pterygoid hamulus.

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

Pterygoid plates: 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.

Pterygoid plates

Sphenoid landmarks

Pterygoid plates

STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

Understand what you see.

Paired medial and lateral plates descend from 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.

01 / IDENTIFICATION

How to recognise it.

  1. Paired medial and lateral plates descend from sphenoid
  2. Pterygoid fossa lies between them posteriorly
  3. Medial plate ends inferiorly in the pterygoid hamulus
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 (4)

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

  • Medial plate
  • Lateral plate
  • Pterygoid fossa
  • Hamulus
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 pterygoid plates and justify your identification.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Paired medial and lateral plates descend from sphenoid. Pterygoid fossa lies between them posteriorly. Medial plate ends inferiorly in the pterygoid hamulus.

02Which muscle arises from the lateral surface of the lateral pterygoid plate?
SUGGESTED ANSWER

The inferior head of lateral pterygoid.

03Which tendon turns around the pterygoid hamulus?
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Tensor veli palatini tendon.

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.