cranial fossa

noun

: any of the three large depressions in the posterior, middle, and anterior aspects of the floor of the cranial cavity:
a
: the posterior one that is the largest and deepest of the three and lodges the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata

called also posterior cranial fossa, posterior fossa

b
: the middle one that lodges the temporal lobes laterally and the hypothalamus medially

called also middle cranial fossa, middle fossa

c
: the anterior one that lodges the frontal lobes

called also anterior cranial fossa, anterior fossa

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Cite this Entry

“Cranial fossa.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cranial%20fossa. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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