Structure and Composition
- The human head consists of a fleshy outer portion and a bony skull.
- The brain is enclosed within the skull, which is supported by the seven cervical vertebrae.
- There are 22 bones in the human head.
- The head typically weighs between 2.3 and 5 kilograms.
- The face contains the eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, and ears.
Blood and Nerve Supply
- The head receives blood supply from the internal and external carotid arteries.
- The external carotid artery supplies the area outside the skull.
- The internal carotid artery supplies the area inside the skull.
- The vertebral arteries also provide blood supply to the area inside the skull.
- The cervical vertebrae support the blood supply to the head.
- The head is primarily controlled by the twelve pairs of cranial nerves.
- The trigeminal nerve provides sensation to the face.
- The cervical nerves provide sensation to other parts of the head.
- The distribution of nerves on the skin of the head has some minor variations.
- The head is innervated by the ophthalmic, maxillary, mandibular, cervical plexus, and dorsal rami of cervical nerves.
Function
- The head contains sensory organs such as the eyes, ears, nose, and tongue.
- These organs function as a processing center for the body by relaying sensory information to the brain.
- The head houses the brain, which plays a crucial role in processing information.
- The central nerve cluster in the head allows humans to process information faster.
- The function of the head is essential for various cognitive processes and overall body coordination.
Society and Culture
- The front of the head, particularly the face, is the main distinguishing feature between individuals.
- Human brains are predisposed to recognize and differentiate between faces.
- Depictions of bigger heads in cartoons symbolize greater intelligence.
- The head is a source of metaphors and metonymies in human language.
- Headhunting, the practice of preserving a person's head after killing them, has been practiced across different cultures and regions.
Measurements
- Biocular breadth: Distance from outer corners of the eyes (right and left ectocanthi)
- Bitragion breadth: Breadth of the head from right tragion to left tragion (tragion is the cartilaginous notch at the front of the ear)
- Glabella to back of head: Horizontal distance from most anterior point of the forehead between the brow-ridges (glabella) to the back of the head
- Menton to back of head: Horizontal distance from tip of the chin (menton) to the back of the head
- Sellion to top of head: Vertical distance from nasal root depression between the eyes (sellion) to the level of the top of the head
In human anatomy, the head is at the top of the human body. It supports the face and is maintained by the skull, which itself encloses the brain. The man with biggest head recorded to date is Bozo Besir from Donji Lapac in Lika.
| Human head | |
|---|---|
 The human head drawn by Leonardo da Vinci | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | caput |
| MeSH | D006257 |
| TA98 | A01.1.00.001 |
| TA2 | 98 |
| FMA | 7154 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
