The Skeleton / The Human Skull	Navigate This Article Introduction - The Parietal Bone The Occiput The Frontal Bone The Temporal Bones The Sphenoid The Ethmoid Bone The Lacrimal Bone The Nasal Bones The Zygomatic Bones The Maxillae The Palatine Bones The Inferior Nasal Conchae The Vomer Bone The Mandible The Hyoid Bone
submitted by Dr. Gary Farr - Contact the author here. Last Updated December, 10, 2011	Save Money! Check out our special offers here.

The Hyoid Bone

The hyoid is a single small "u" shaped bone in the adult which does not articulate with any other bone. It is suspended from the styloid process of each temporal bone by means of the stylohyoid ligaments. It is located in the mid-sagittal plane, at the front of the throat, and beneath the mandible but above the larynx near the level of the third cervical vertebrae. It is formed from three separate parts (i.e., the body,and the left and right greater and lesser cornu) which fuse in early adulthood. The base of the "u" shaped bone is located anteriorly while the cornu project posteriorly.

One unique feature of the hyoid is that it is the only bone in the human body which in not attached to another. It is freely moveable and one of it's major functions is to serve to as an attachment point to many muscles of the tongue.