The scientific name for the skull is cranium. This term refers specifically to the part of the skull that encloses the brain.
The cranium is made up of several bones that are fused together to protect the brain and support the structure of the face. These bones include the frontal bone, parietal bones, temporal bones, occipital bone, sphenoid bone, and ethmoid bone. The cranium itself does not include the mandible (the lower jaw), which is a separate bone.
Understanding the anatomy of the cranium is crucial in fields like medicine, anthropology, and forensics, as it can provide insights into human development, evolutionary biology, and various medical conditions.