Squamous partThe broad, curved plate that forms the forehead.
Frontal eminenceA rounded swelling on each side of the forehead.
Superciliary archA curved ridge above the rim of each eye socket.
GlabellaThe smooth area between the two superciliary arches.
Supraorbital marginThe upper rim of the eye socket.
Supraorbital foramenA notch or hole for the supraorbital vessels and nerve.
Zygomatic processRuns down to meet the zygomatic bone.
Nasal partProjects down between the two supraorbital margins. It meets the nasal bones and the maxillae.
Nasal spineA sharp point that helps hold up the bridge of the nose.
Temporal lineA ridge running up and back from the zygomatic process.
From below 5
Orbital partA thin plate that forms the roof of the orbit.
Ethmoidal notchThe gap between the two orbital plates. The cribriform plate of the ethmoid fills it.
Lacrimal fossaA shallow hollow that holds the lacrimal gland.
Trochlear foveaA small pit where the pulley of an eye muscle attaches.
Frontal sinusAn air space inside the bone, above the orbit. Its opening shows beside the nasal spine.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 in at least two of these, in our own words: Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body, 1918 (public domain), The Frontal Bone; TeachMeAnatomy, The Frontal Bone; Kenhub, Frontal bone and Ethmoid bone. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-04. The front view follows Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th edition (1918), figure 134 (Frontal bone, outer surface), drawn by Henry Vandyke Carter, public domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray134.png), made symmetric; the view from below follows figure 135 of the same book (Frontal bone, inner surface; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray135.png, public domain), turned so the forehead is at the top. The small skull is our own outline. Licence: own work
How it works
This frontal bone anatomy quiz shows the bone lifted out of the skull, from the front and from below. It works as a frontal bone labeling quiz: every part you find stays written on the drawing.
Read the full guide
From the front
The frontal bone quiz opens on the front view. The squamous part is the forehead. Low on each side a superciliary arch curves above the supraorbital margin, the upper rim of the eye socket, and the glabella lies between the two arches. Each margin ends at the side in a zygomatic process. The nasal part hangs between the margins and ends in the nasal spine.
From below
The forehead is at the top of the drawing. The two orbital plates roof the eye sockets, with the ethmoidal notch between them. The openings of the frontal sinuses lie in front of the notch, beside the nasal spine. Under More options you can print both views blank.
The supraorbital foramen is sometimes only a notch in the margin.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of the frontal bone?
A squamous part, which forms the forehead; two orbital parts, the plates that roof the eye sockets; and a nasal part between them. The zygomatic processes are the outer corners that reach the cheekbones.
What is the glabella?
The smooth, slightly raised area of the frontal bone between the two superciliary arches, above the nasal part.
What bones does the frontal bone join?
The two parietal bones behind it, and the sphenoid, ethmoid, nasal, lacrimal, zygomatic and maxillary bones below and in front.
Where is the frontal sinus?
Inside the frontal bone, above the eye sockets on either side of the midline. Its openings show on the under side of the bone, in front of the ethmoidal notch.