# What is the skull called?

The skull is called the cranium. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as the bony framework of the head, made up of 22 bones. Older texts sometimes use 'cranium' for the whole skull; modern texts often reserve it for just the braincase.

## What it means

- The bony framework of the head, made up of 22 bones.
- Divided into the cranium proper (which encloses the brain) and the bones of the face.
- The cranial bones are joined by immovable joints called sutures.

## Action steps

1. At the top of the vertebral column.
2. Rests on the atlas (first cervical vertebra).
3. Encloses and protects the brain.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

---
Canonical: https://bestanatomyanswers.com/answers/what-is-the-skull-called
Author: Best Anatomy Answers — https://bestanatomyanswers.com
Publisher: Best Anatomy Answers
Published: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Last verified: 2026-07-18
License: Citation License 1.0 — https://bestexpertanswers.com/license
© Adolicious LLC